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Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: fishyfisherman77 on November 04, 2009, 10:56:14 AM

Title: cis/trans isomers
Post by: fishyfisherman77 on November 04, 2009, 10:56:14 AM
Why are there cis-trans isomers on 2-butene but not in butane?
is it because of the double bond in the butene????
????

i think i can i think i can CHEM
Title: Re: cis/trans isomers
Post by: nj_bartel on November 04, 2009, 11:07:23 AM
Yes?  Can you define cis/trans for me?
Title: Re: cis/trans isomers
Post by: fishyfisherman77 on November 04, 2009, 12:13:23 PM
is cis the same plane
and trans is on different planes...
im not too sure why it would be b/c of the dbl bond though
Title: Re: cis/trans isomers
Post by: TheVanquished on November 04, 2009, 12:29:15 PM
butane cannot have cis trans isomers as each carbon atom is bonded to 3 other atoms (hydrogen in this case). Basically only alkenes have geometric cis trans isomers
Title: Re: cis/trans isomers
Post by: nj_bartel on November 04, 2009, 12:49:21 PM
 http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/350/orgnom/alkenes/alkenes-02.html

Read the second sentence in particular.
Title: Re: cis/trans isomers
Post by: cck05 on November 08, 2009, 10:05:24 AM
For further information:
Beside alkenes, cyclic structures also can have geometric isomers
(i.e. geometric isomer is another term for cis,trans isomers)