Hexagon Patterns in Chemical/Molecular Makeup

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The discussion centers on the arrangement of atoms in hexagonal patterns, questioning whether these representations are accurate or merely illustrative. It is established that many atoms do indeed form hexagonal arrangements, particularly in close-packed structures common in metals. However, not all representations accurately reflect reality; for instance, cyclohexane is often depicted as a hexagon but is actually bent. Aromatic compounds, such as benzene, are typically illustrated using hexagonal shapes for clarity, despite their planar structure. The average bond angles in these compounds are determined by electron orbital configurations, influencing where bonds form. Overall, while hexagonal arrangements can be found in nature, they are often simplified in illustrations for ease of understanding.
syfry
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Do the hexagon shapes reflect a real pattern at the atomic level?
Are physical atoms really arranged in hexagon patterns, or is that some sort of way to represent them for illustrations in textbooks and in science articles? (i.e. atoms aren't actually arranged in any hexagon pattern)
 
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In many cases atoms do really arrange in hexagonal patterns, for example when they are arranged based on close-packing (common for many metals).

Doesn't mean every hexagonal representation exactly reflects the reality (cyclohexane is often drawn like that, but is bent), doesn't mean every metal follows close-packing.
 
Compounds containing aromatic rings are common in organic chemistry and in contrast to cyclohexane it is actually also planar. The average angles are explained from the electron orbitals where the electron cloud density peaks and thus where bonds are mainly formed. When drawing aromatic compounds it gets more readable to not write out every atom, so say a hexagon ring with a circle, or every other double bond, is shorthand for a benzene ring. If it has only single bonds (no ring), then it's cyclohexane.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzene#/media/File:Benzene_Representations.svg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_aromatic_ring
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclohexane

/Fredrik
 
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