What is resonance energy?

Question

Im being asked this, for a the combustion of naphthalene using benzoic acid as a standard. I have the enthalpy of combustion of naphtalene, etc. This is for a Physical Chemistry Lab. Thanks

Answer 1

Man, you have a tough school. I'm rusty on this, but I believe this has to do with the stabilization of a charge on a molecule by virtue of being able to "smear" it around via resonant alternatives. The oxyacids owe their acid ability to this feature. The negative charge of the cation is distributed over two or more oxygens.