Ninth Meeting: August 15, 2011 - Conformation

    The various shapes that a molecule can assume by rotation about single bonds are called conformations. The eclipsed conformation has each hydrogen on one carbon as close as possible to one hydrogen on the other carbon. The staggered conformation has the hydrogen on one carbon as far from the hydrogen on the other as possible. Other conformations are intermediate between these two extremes. The staggered conformation is more stable because of the torsional and steric strain in the eclipsed conformation.

Ethane

Butane