Do Both Carbon Atoms in Ethane Rotate During Conformation Changes?

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In ethane, during conformation changes, only one carbon atom is considered to rotate while the other remains stationary, although this is relative to the observer's frame of reference. The discussion highlights that while one carbon appears to rotate, from the perspective of that carbon, the other carbon seems to rotate instead. This concept of relative rotation is crucial in understanding molecular conformations. The conversation briefly touches on the complexity that arises when considering compounds with adjacent chiral carbons, but the primary focus remains on ethane's behavior. Overall, the consensus is that for practical purposes, only one carbon's rotation is emphasized.
Karan Punjabi
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Considering a Ethane molecule, it can have infinite confirmations but my question is in this molecule only one carbon atom rotate or both of them rotate? Please specify and give reason.
 
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Karan Punjabi said:
Considering a Ethane molecule, it can have infinite confirmations but my question is in this molecule only one carbon atom rotate or both of them rotate? Please specify and give reason.
Are you talking about rotational degrees of freedom where the rotation of the molecule in each of two directions picks up part of the molecule's total thermal energy?
 
jbriggs444 said:
Are you talking about rotational degrees of freedom where the rotation of the molecule in each of two directions picks up part of the molecule's total thermal energy?
I don't know about these conformations in detail. Just want to know that both molecules of CH3- rotate or one of the molecule rotates.
 
The word is conformations and the angle is the angle one carbon rotates over with respect to the other. So it's a relative angle.
 
BvU said:
The word is conformations and the angle is the angle one carbon rotates over with respect to the other. So it's a relative angle.
Basically you want to say that one carbon atom rotates?
 
Yes, the other then does not.
 
Look at it this way. Rotation is relative right? So if from "outside ", one carbon seems to be rotating then if I change my reference frame to the rotating carbon then the other carbon seems to be rotating!
In short, yeah only one carbon rotates.

Your question would become fairly more significant if we were drawing conformers of a compound which had two adjacent chiral carbons, but let's not go there unless you want to ;)
 
CrazyNinja said:
Look at it this way. Rotation is relative right? So if from "outside ", one carbon seems to be rotating then if I change my reference frame to the rotating carbon then the other carbon seems to be rotating!
In short, yeah only one carbon rotates.

Your question would become fairly more significant if we were drawing conformers of a compound which had two adjacent chiral carbons, but let's not go there unless you want to ;)
Yeah. My teacher told me the same thing that basically two of them rotates but we consider one of them
 

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