Aromatic ring
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An aromatic ring is a hydrocarbon, such as benzene, that has a low hydrogen to carbon ratio. As in the case of benzene (formula C6H6), the carbon atoms form a hexagonal ring, with each carbon atom bonded in series at each point of the hexagon. Because of double bonding, each carbon atom can bond to only one hydrogen. There are other shapes as well, including cyclooctatetraene, an octagonal aromatic ring.
There are variations to the benzene molecule. One such variation is toluene (formula C7H8, also called methylbenzene) where a methyl group replaces a hydrogen atom.