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NEET levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 1 of 3st116

Of the two extreme conformations of ethane, the more stable one is the

  1. Aeclipsed conformation, with a dihedral angle of
  2. Beclipsed conformation, with a dihedral angle of
  3. Cstaggered conformation, with a dihedral angle of
  4. Dstaggered conformation, with a dihedral angle of between neighbouring hydrogens

Answer: D

In the staggered conformation the C-H bonds on the two carbons are as far apart as possible (dihedral ), minimising torsional strain. The eclipsed conformation is about 12 kJ/mol higher in energy.
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