Organic and Inorganic Chemistry Lesson of the Day – Stereoisomers
October 30, 2014 Leave a comment
Two molecules are stereoisomers if they
- have the same molecular formula
- have the same sequence of bonds between each molecule’s constituent atoms
- have different 3-dimensional (spatial or geometric) orientations of the constituent atoms
Examples of stereoisomers include
It is important to emphasize that stereoisomers are defined for 2 or more molecules. Consider 3 isomers, A, B and C.
- A and B may be stereoisomers.
- A and C may not be stereoisomers. They may be structural isomers, which have the same atoms but different sequences of bonds.
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