Rules for Resonance Rules for Resonance Resonance forms are imaginary.
Formal charge follows normal rules.
The more stable a contributing structure is, the more it contributes to the overall picture. The less stable it is, the less it contributes. The structure on the left is more stable than that on the right partly because of the increased bonding, and partly because all of the atoms have octets. Note the two radical carbons in the structure on the right. In this case, the formal charge of each carbon is still zero.