How Does Conjugation Lower Energy and Increase Stability in Aromatic Compounds?

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Conjugation in aromatic compounds lowers overall energy and increases stability due to the delocalization of electrons across multiple atoms. This delocalization allows for a more even distribution of electron density, which reduces the potential energy of the molecule. Aromatic compounds are particularly stable because they possess additional resonance structures compared to non-aromatic conjugated systems. Resonance structures illustrate the different ways electrons can be arranged within a molecule, highlighting that electrons are not fixed but rather spread out. This spreading of electrons contributes to the stability of the molecule, as it minimizes energy fluctuations and creates a more stable electronic configuration.
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Can someone explain, possibly in layman's terms, how conjugation such as with aromatic compounds lowers the overall energy; making it more stable?

Could someone also explain why aromatic compounds are more stable than through conjugation alone and what the difference is?
 
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It has more resonance structures
 
Can you explain how resonance structures work?
 
Basically, molecules have electrons that are moving around, so the resonance structure tries to capture the fact that electrons are all around the molecule, and sometimes more electrons are near a certain element within the molecule.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resonance_structure

More resonance structures means that the electrons are more spread out, so the molecule is more stable.
 

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