Chair Conformations
Complete the ring-flipped chair by dragging substituents to their correct positions.
Common Questions
What is a chair conformation?
A chair conformation is the most stable 3D shape of cyclohexane, where alternating carbons point up and down, minimizing angle strain and torsional strain. It looks like a reclining chair when viewed from the side.
What is the difference between axial and equatorial positions?
Axial bonds point straight up or down, perpendicular to the ring plane. Equatorial bonds point roughly outward along the ring equator. Axial and equatorial positions alternate around the ring and swap during a ring flip.
What is a ring flip?
A ring flip (chair-chair interconversion) converts one chair conformation to another by moving up carbons down and down carbons up. All axial substituents become equatorial and vice versa. No bonds are broken.
Why do large substituents prefer equatorial positions?
A large group in an axial position experiences 1,3-diaxial interactions with other axial groups on the same side, creating steric strain. In the equatorial position, the group points away from the ring, avoiding these interactions.