Wikipedia: History of Isomer

Difference (from prior major revision) (minor diff, author diff)

Changed: 1c1

Isomer

Isomers in chemistry are compounds with the same empirical formula but different arrangement of atoms.

Changed: 3,6c3

A term used in organic chemistry. It is possible for two molecules to have the same formula, but different
arrangement of atoms. The different forms are called isomers.

A simple example of structural isomerism is the alcohol with the formula, C₃H₈O, (known as propyl acohol) which has the isomers

A simple example of structural isomerism (position) is the alcohol with the formula, C₃H₈O, (known as propyl alcohol) which has the isomers:

Changed: 18,19c15

Note that the critical difference is the position of the oxygen atom - it is attached to an end carbon in the

Changed: 25c21,23

These include:

There are two main groups of isomers: structural isomerism and stereoisomerism. Structural isomerism deals with the different ways atoms and functional groups are joined together in a molecule. This group includes chain isomerism whereby hydrocarbon chains have variable amounts of branching; posistion isomerism which deals with the position of a functional group on a chain; and functional group isomerism which is when one functional group can be split up in to different ones.

The second group, stereoisomerism, is the different positioning of atoms in space. This class includes geometric isomerism - where functional groups at the end of a chain can be twisted in different ways; and optical isomerism where different isomers are mirror-images of each other.

Removed: 27,33d24

* Structural isomerism
** Chain isomerism
** Position isomerism
** Functional group isomerism
* Stereoisomerism
** Geometric isomerism
** Optical isomerism

	Revision 6 . . (edit) December 19, 2001 10:54 pm by (logged).200.130.xxx [molecular formula > empirical formula]
	Revision 5 . . (edit) October 5, 2001 6:32 pm by Sodium
	Revision 3 . . (edit) September 2, 2001 6:56 am by Sodium [other types of isomerism]