Question

5.4 When looking down the C{{TOP-HAT-MATH-TOKEN-0}}-C{{TOP-HAT-MATH-TOKEN-1}} bond in 2,3-dimethylbutane, what is the most stable conformer

Answer 1

Answer:

The most stable conformer would be the anti-conformer when the substituent methyl groups are farthest away from each other.

Explanation:

Isomers are chemical compounds with the same molecular formula but with different molecular structures.

Conformers are a special type of isomers that produce different structures when the substituents of a Carbon-Carbon single bond (C-C) are rotated.

In 2,3 dimethyl butane, the substituent methyl groups are located around the second and third Carbon to Carbon single bond.

To achieve a stable configuration, the methyl group substituents need to be as far apart as possible (that is, in an anti-position) to minimise repulsion.

The closer the methyl groups are to each other, the more they repel each other and the more unstable the conformer becomes.