Educational Materials for Organic Chemistry

Cycloalkane Conformations

The following molecules will require the Chime plugin for viewing and rotating.

The models are initially displayed as a wireframe models to make it easier to see the shape of the ring. Click the appropriate button below to get a spacefilling model - this type of model is better for seeing where atoms are close enough together to repel one another. Several other useful options are also available. (Compounds are listed in order of importance to later sections of the course - this should not be interpreted to mean that the ones at the bottom should be ignored!)

Interesting (and Hopefully Educational) Exercises to do with These Models

View the models as wireframe models and practice drawing them on paper - which orientation is represented in your textbook? Practice this until you are better able to look at the pictures in your textbook and imagine the three-dimensional molecule.
Try to find axial/equatorial/flagpole/eclipsing hydrogens before clicking the button that will highlight them. This may be easiest using a wireframe model.
Compare the spacefilling models of different conformations of the same structure (cyclohexane only). Try to determine if certain conformations have more atoms bumping into one another. Make sure your assesment agrees with the potential energy diagram on page 78 in your book.

Cyclohexane


Push button to view spacefilling model (chair)	Push button to view spacefilling model (boat)	Push button to view spacefilling model (twist boat)
Push button to view wireframe model(chair)	Push button to view wireframe model(boat)	Push button to view wireframe model(twist boat)
Highlight hydrogens(chair)	Highlight hydrogens(boat)	Highlight hydrogens(twist boat)
Highlight carbons(chair)	Highlight carbons(boat)	Highlight carbons(twist boat)
Highlight equatorial hydrogens(chair)	Highlight flagpole hydrogens(boat)	Highlight flagpole hydrogens(twist boat - note these are farther apart than the flagpole hydrogens in the boat form)
Highlight axial hydrogens(chair)	Highlight a pair of eclipsed hydrogens(boat)	Highlight a pair of nearly-eclipsed hydrogens(twist boat - note these are farther apart than the eclipsed hydrogens in the boat form)