Chapter 4, Problem 4.8YT

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

How much higher in energy one eclipsed conformation of $\text{1, 2-dibromoethane}$ $\left({\text{BrCH}}_{\text{2}}-{\text{CH}}_{\text{2}}\text{Br}\right)$ is than the other two and how much lower in energy one staggered conformation is than the other two are to be estimated.

Concept introduction:

In Newman projection formula, when the hydrogen on front carbon covers the hydrogen on the rear carbon, such conformation is called eclipsed conformation, and when the hydrogen atom on front carbon bisects a pair of $\text{C}-\text{H}$ bonds on the rear carbon, it is called staggered conformation. In eclipsed, the atoms are lined up with each other whereas in staggered, they are equally spaced from each other. The eclipsed conformations pass through maxima and the staggered conformations occur at minima in the energy diagram.