Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Conformation in organic chemistry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule that results from rotation around single bonds. Unlike isomers, conformations are interconvertible without breaking covalent bonds.
The phenomenon where molecules have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (constitution), but differ in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in space.
A type of strain in molecules that arises when atoms positioned around a single bond are forced into close proximity, leading to an increase in energy due to repulsion between electrons.
A method used in organic chemistry to visualize the conformational relationship between atoms in a molecule by looking straight down the bond connecting two carbon atoms