Practice Problem: Hydrogenation, Isomerism, and Cyclohexane Chairs

The video tutorial covers a practice problem involving hydrogenation over platinum metal. It explains the stereo specificity of the reaction, focusing on SYN addition and the resulting stereochemical relationships, including diastereomers. The tutorial also discusses the thermodynamic favorability of different chair conformations of cyclohexane, highlighting the importance of axial and equatorial positions for methyl groups. The video aims to help students understand these concepts and apply them to similar problems.

What is the main focus of the practice problem discussed in the video?

• Exploring radical reactions

• Understanding nucleophilic substitution reactions

• Analyzing hydrogenation over platinum metal

• Studying elimination reactions

In the context of hydrogenation over platinum metal, what does SYN addition mean?

• Hydrogens are not added at all

• Hydrogens are added randomly

• Hydrogens are added from the same side of the molecule

• Hydrogens are added from opposite sides of the molecule

What is the stereochemical relationship between the cis and trans 1,3-dimethylcyclohexane?

• They are identical

• They are diastereomers

• They are structural isomers

• They are enantiomers

Why is the cis isomer more thermodynamically favorable than the trans isomer?

• One methyl group is axial and the other is equatorial

• Both methyl groups are in axial positions

• The cis isomer has more diaxial interactions

• Both methyl groups are in equatorial positions

What happens to a substituent that is axial on one chair conformation when the chair flips?

• It becomes equatorial

• It disappears

• It remains axial

• It becomes a different substituent