chair conformation

Chair conformation is the three-dimensional shape a six-membered ring molecule assumes when its atoms arrange themselves to minimize strain, resembling a chair with a seat, back, and footrest.

The term appears most often in organic chemistry discussions of cyclohexane: The chair conformation is more stable than the boat conformation.

Atoms or groups attached to the ring point either straight up and down (axial) or roughly outward (equatorial).