What is the significance of knowing if a molecule has a anti staggered conformation or a gauche staggered? Is anti more stable? (In the anti-conformation, the distance between two substituents is larger than in the Gauche-conformation. - GS).

^^^Yes, but does that make the gauche less stable because the substituents would be very close possibly forcing other substituents to occupy their space? IS that right to think that way? (Yes, if there is no attraction between the substituents. - GS).