Question

In the given example with 3 eclipsed hydrogen (H) interactions resulting in a total energy cost of 4 kJ/mol, what can be inferred about the conformation?

A) The conformation has a low total energy.
B) The conformation is in a staggered arrangement.
C) The conformation is highly stable.
D) The conformation has a high total energy due to eclipsed interactions.

Answer 1

The conformation with 3 eclipsed hydrogen interactions resulting in a total energy cost of 4 kJ/mol each is the eclipsed conformation, which has a high total energy due to these interactions.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of conformations of ethane, an eclipsed conformation is one where substituents on adjacent carbon atoms are at a 0º torsion angle and result in higher energy due to the unfavorable interactions between the atoms or groups. From the provided information, it is clear that each H-H eclipsed interaction results in an energy cost of 4 kJ/mol. Given that there are 3 of these interactions with a total energy cost of 4 kJ/mol each, the conformation being referred to is the eclipsed conformation which is not the most stable state for ethane. Therefore, it can be inferred that the conformation D) has a high total energy due to eclipsed interactions, rather than A) having a low total energy, B) being in a staggered arrangement, or C) being highly stable.