🥼organic chemistry review

Equatorial bonds

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Definition

Equatorial bonds in cyclohexane are the chemical bonds that extend outward from the center of the molecule, positioned roughly parallel to the equator if the cyclohexane ring is imagined as a globe. These bonds offer less steric strain than their axial counterparts, making them more stable in most substituent configurations.