Practice Molecule Relationships Beta
Drawing A
Drawing B
Common Questions
What types of molecular relationships exist in organic chemistry?
Molecules can be identical, enantiomers (non-superimposable mirror images), diastereomers (stereoisomers that are not mirror images), structural isomers (same formula, different connectivity), conformations (same molecule rotated around single bonds), or resonance structures (same connectivity, different electron arrangement).
How do you tell if two structures are conformations of the same molecule?
Conformations have the same connectivity and stereochemistry but differ by rotation around single bonds. If you can convert one structure to the other by rotating around C-C single bonds without breaking any bonds, they are conformations.
What is the difference between structural isomers and stereoisomers?
Structural (constitutional) isomers share the same molecular formula but have different atom connectivity. Stereoisomers have identical connectivity but differ in the 3D spatial arrangement of atoms.
What are resonance structures?
Resonance structures have the same atom connectivity and arrangement but differ only in electron placement (lone pairs and pi bonds). They represent different ways of drawing the same molecule, not different molecules.