Answer:
The statement is not entirely accurate.
Step-by-step explanation:
While it is true that trans-1,4-dibromocyclohexane can adopt a conformation in which the two bromine atoms are in orientations that are further apart from each other, this alone does not explain why the trans isomer is more stable than the cis isomer.
The actual reason for the greater stability of the trans isomer lies in the fact that the two large bromine atoms on adjacent carbons in the cis isomer are forced into close proximity, leading to significant steric hindrance and unfavorable van der Waals interactions. This steric strain can be relieved by rotating the two C-Br bonds away from each other to form the trans isomer, which has lower energy and is more stable.
In contrast, in the trans isomer, the two bromine atoms are already far apart from each other in the lowest-energy conformation, so there is no additional steric strain that needs to be relieved.
Therefore, it is not accurate to say that the trans isomer is more stable simply because it can adopt a conformation with both bromine atoms in favorable orientations. The trans isomer is more stable because it has lower steric strain due to the orientation of the two bromine atoms relative to each other.