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According to Bayer strain theory, cyclohexane is less stable than cyclopentane, but in practice the reverse is true. Why?
Accepted Answer
The Bayer theory suggests that the stability of a cyclic structure is based on the number of hydrogen atoms present in the ring. However, this theory does not take into account the angle strain associated with the ring. In the case of cyclopentane, the bond angles are 108 degrees, which is close to the ideal tetrahedral angle of 109.5 degrees. This results in less angle strain and, therefore, greater stability than cyclohexane, which has bond angles of 120 degrees.
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