WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Classes of Isomers

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isomers
structural
cis-trans
enantiomers
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MoleculePlot
SpaceFillingMoleculePlot
EthylMethylEther
2Propanol
1Propanol
Isomers are compounds with the same chemical composition but with different structures. There are two categories: structural isomers and stereoisomers. Structural isomerism is exemplified by the molecules
C
2
H
5
O
CH
3
(ethylmethylether) and
C
3
H
7
OH
(1- and 2-propanol). Examples of stereoisomerism are the cis and trans modifications of specific groups of atoms within a molecule, for example
ClCH=CHCl
(1,2-dichloroethene). Another type known as enantiomers are two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other, which occurs in different forms of
C
6
H
12
O
6
(glucose).