Conformational Energy of a Polymer With Respect to Dihedral Energy

• Dihedral Energy is also referred to as 'torsional energy.' To give an example of a dihedral angle, take ethane, and 1) pick any hydrogen, 2) go to the carbon that hydrogen is connected to, 3) go to the other carbon, and 4) go to a hydrogen on that other carbon. You have just traced out a dihedral angle. Notice that it takes four connected atoms to define a dihedral angle.
  
  
• [Sperling-49] provides a good picture. You will probably be asked to do a homework problem using the computer programs in the Mac labs to rotate a dihedral angle and then you plot energy as a function of the dihedral angle..