Which of the following statements regarding cyclobutane is correct?
A) The lowest energy conformation of cyclobutane is a planar one in which all of the bond angles is 90°.
B) The lowest energy conformation of cyclobutane is known as the chair conformation.
C) The lowest energy conformation is one in which the bond angles are slightly less than 90° even though this increases angle strain.
D) The lowest energy conformation is one in which the bond angles are greater than 90° so that angle strain is significantly reduced.
E) None of the above statements is correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The lowest energy conformation of cyclobutane is one in which the bond angles are slightly less than 90° even though this increases angle strain. This is because the torsional strain in the planar conformation is even greater than the angle strain in the non-planar conformation.

Which of the Following Statements Regarding Cyclobutane Is Correct