Final answer:
The absolute configuration of a chair conformation is determined by analyzing the axial and equatorial positions to minimize 1,3-diaxial interactions, making B) the correct option.
Step-by-step explanation:
The absolute configuration of a chair conformation in cyclohexane and its derivatives is determined by analyzing the chair's axial and equatorial positions rather than its rotational symmetry, bond lengths and angles, or chair-flip isomerization. In monosubstituted cyclohexanes, a bulky substituent prefers to be in the equatorial position to minimize 1,3-diaxial interactions and steric repulsion. Thus, the chair conformation with the bulky group at an equatorial position is more stable.
To draw the chair conformation and predict the stability of substituted groups, one would:
Draw a skeleton of the chair form of the cyclohexane ring.
Identify axial and equatorial positions for substituents.
Place the bulky group in the equatorial position to attain a more stable conformation.
The stability and energy of these conformations are intrinsic to the molecule's three-dimensional shape and the spatial arrangement of its substituents, embodying the concept of conformational isomers. Therefore, the correct option to determine the absolute configuration of a chair conformation is:
B) By analyzing the chair's axial and equatorial positions.