Calibration 1: Text
Cyclohexane is a six carbon cyclic alkane that is unusually stable compared to other cyclic alkanes. This stability can be seen by examining cyclohexane in its chair conformation. Since cyclohexane consists of all sp3 hybridized carbons, it ideally exists with 109.5-degree bond angles. If cyclohexane were planar, it would be forced to have 120-degree angels, and would therefore have angle strain. However, cyclohexane chair conformations are almost completely free of angle strain due to their 111-degree bond angles. Planar cyclohexane would have substantial torsional strain, because each of its carbon-carbon bonds would be fully eclipsed. In contrast, each of chair cyclohexane’s C-C bonds is staggered, meaning there is no
Cyclohexane is a six carbon cyclic alkane that is unusually stable compared to other cyclic alkanes. This stability can be seen by examining cyclohexane in its chair conformation. Since cyclohexane consists of all sp3 hybridized carbons, it ideally exists with 109.5-degree bond angles. If cyclohexane were planar, it would be forced to have 120-degree angels, and would therefore have angle strain. However, cyclohexane chair conformations are almost completely free of angle strain due to their 111-degree bond angles. Planar cyclohexane would have substantial torsional strain, because each of its carbon-carbon bonds would be fully eclipsed. In contrast, each of chair cyclohexane’s C-C bonds is staggered, meaning there is no