isomerism Hear it!

isomerism Definition

isom·er·ism (ī sämər iz′əm)

noun

the state or relation of isomers

isomerism Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • exhibit: In fact the situation is even more complicated than it looks, because but-2-ene exhibits geometric isomerism.
  • call: It is an example of structural isomerism, and is also called nuclear isomerism.
  • show: Isomerism in the alkenes Structural isomerism All the alkenes with 4 or more carbon atoms in them show structural isomerism.

Adjective modifier

  • geometrical: In AS and A2 Chemistry, we only need to know about geometrical isomerism caused by a C=C bond in the molecule.
  • geometric: For a full discussion of geometric isomerism follow this link.
  • optical: Note: One of the worrying things about optical isomerism is the number of obscure words that suddenly get thrown at you.
  • structural: In structural isomerism, the atoms are arranged in a completely different order.
  • positional: Positional isomerism, an example of structural isomerism, occurs when functional groups are in different positions on the same carbon chain.

Noun used with modifier

  • chain: Chain isomerism is the type of isomerism you meet in GCSE Chemistry - see the isomers of hexane.
  • position: You can easily have a mixture of chain isomerism and position isomerism - you aren't restricted to one or the other.
  • trans: Geometric isomerism ( also known as cis / trans isomerism ) is a form of stereoisomerism.