Draw Newman and Sawhorse projections for the eclipsed and staggered conformationsof ethane. Which of these conformations is more stable and why?

Newman and Sawhorse projections are used to visualize the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule. Here's how you can draw them for the eclipsed and staggered conformations of ethane:

1. Newman Projections:

   • Eclipsed Conformation: Draw a circle to represent the back carbon atom. Draw three lines intersecting at the center of the circle to represent the three hydrogen atoms bonded to the back carbon. Draw a dot in the center of the circle to represent the front carbon atom. Draw three lines intersecting at the dot to represent the three hydrogen atoms bonded to the front carbon. The lines should align with the lines drawn for the back carbon.
   • Staggered Conformation: The procedure is the same as for the eclipsed conformation, but the lines representing the hydrogen atoms bonded to the front carbon should be drawn between the lines representing the hydrogen atoms bonded to the back carbon.

2. Sawhorse Projections:

   • Eclipsed Conformation: Draw two parallel lines to represent the carbon-carbon bond. Draw three lines intersecting at one end of the carbon-carbon bond to represent the three hydrogen atoms bonded to one carbon. Draw three more lines intersecting at the other end of the carbon-carbon bond to represent the three hydrogen atoms bonded to the other carbon. The lines should align with each other.
   • Staggered Conformation: The procedure is the same as for the eclipsed conformation, but the lines representing the hydrogen atoms bonded to one carbon should be drawn between the lines representing the hydrogen atoms bonded to the other carbon.

The staggered conformation of ethane is more stable than the eclipsed conformation. This is because in the staggered conformation, the electron clouds of the hydrogen atoms are further apart from each other, reducing electron-electron repulsion. In contrast, in the eclipsed conformation, the electron clouds of the hydrogen atoms are closer to each other, leading to increased electron-electron repulsion and making the conformation less stable.