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Why are equatorial bonds perfectly parallel to ring bonds?

Answer 1

Equatorial bonds are parallel to ring bonds because of the staggered arrangement of the bonds in a cyclohexane chair.

It may be easier to see this if you look at a Newman projection for cyclohexane.

and #"C-2"# is to the right of #"C-1"#.

Then #"C-1"# is the carbon atom at the front of the right hand circle and #"C-2"# is the hidden carbon behind it.

The equatorial #"C-H"# bond at #"C-1"# bond is parallel to the bond between #"C-2"# and #"C-3"# and also to the bond between #"C-5"# and #"C-6"#.

I have highlighted those bonds below to highlight the parallel bonds.

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Answer 2

Addison Armstrong

Equatorial bonds in cyclohexane are perfectly parallel to ring bonds due to the geometry of the cyclohexane molecule. In cyclohexane, the carbon atoms are arranged in a hexagonal ring with alternating single and double bonds. Each carbon atom is bonded to two other carbon atoms, forming a three-dimensional structure. The equatorial bonds extend outward from the ring in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the ring, resulting in their parallel alignment to the ring bonds. This arrangement minimizes steric hindrance between the atoms and contributes to the stability of the cyclohexane molecule.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.