C6H12

C6H12 C6H12 C6H12
View down -3 axis Oblique view View down 2 axis

Cyclo-hexane in its so-called "chair" conformation has a threefold rotary-inversion axis through the centre with 3 twofold rotation axes perpendicular to it. In addition there are 3 mirror planes parallel to the -3 axis plus a point of inversion.

The point-group symmetry for this molecule is given the crystallographic symbol -3 2/m, which is usually shortened to -3 m. (This should not be confused with the cubic crystallographic point group m -3, which possesses four threefold axes.)


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© Copyright 1997-2006.  Birkbeck College, University of London. Author(s): Jeremy Karl Cockcroft