The most stable conformation of n-butane isa)Skew boatb)Eclipsedc)Gauc...
Stable Conformation of n-Butane
The most stable conformation of n-butane is staggered-anti.
Explanation
- n-Butane is a four-carbon alkane with the formula C4H10.
- It has two main conformations, eclipsed and staggered.
- In the eclipsed conformation, the C-H bonds of the two methyl groups are aligned, which results in steric hindrance due to repulsion.
- In the staggered conformation, the methyl groups are not aligned, which results in a lower energy state and greater stability.
- The staggered conformation can further be divided into two types, staggered-anti and staggered-gauche.
- In the staggered-anti conformation, the two methyl groups are opposite to each other, which results in the lowest energy state and the greatest stability.
- In the staggered-gauche conformation, the two methyl groups are next to each other, resulting in slightly higher energy and less stability than the staggered-anti conformation.
- The skew boat conformation is also possible, but it is less stable than the staggered conformations.
Conclusion
Thus, the staggered-anti conformation is the most stable conformation of n-butane due to the absence of steric hindrance and the lowest energy state.