Question

Convert the following representation of ethane,C₂H₆, into a conventional drawing that uses solid, wedged, and dashed lines to indicate tetrahedral geometry around each carbon (gray 5 C, ivory 5 H).

Ethane

Short answer

Three- dimensional structure of ethane

Step-by-step solution

Three-dimensional geometry

To represent the three-dimensional geometry of a molecule, we need to use

* a solid line to represent a bond in the plane of the page.

*A dashed line to represent a bond going back below the plane of the page, and

*A wedged line to represent a bond above the plane of the page.

To represent tetrahedral geometry around C, draw two bonds using solid lines, one bond using a dashed line, and one bond using a wedged line.

Ethane

The representation of ethane shows four atoms that are located on the plane of the page: two C atoms each with an H atom connected to it. By drawing these atoms and connecting them with the solid line and by noting that one H points up and the other points down.

Bonding of hydrogen represented by solid lines

Each C atom is connected to an H in a bond that goes below the plane of the page. Draw these bonds using dashed lines.

Bonding of hydrogen represented by dashed lines

Each C atom is connected to an H in a bond that connects above the plane of the page. Draw these bonds using heavy wedged lines