Stereoisomer

Stereoisomer Definition

Imagine trying to assemble a piece of flat-pack furniture with identical parts that can be put together in different ways, resulting in the same structure having a different look or function. This is similar to stereoisomers in chemistry, where molecules have the same sequence of bonded atoms but differ in the three-dimensional orientation of those atoms. Just like assembling furniture differently can lead to different outcomes even if the components are identical, stereoisomers show how the same atoms can create distinct molecules solely based on their spatial arrangement.

Practice Version

Stereoisomer Definition

Stereoisomer: Molecules that have atoms in the same order, but differ in the arrangement of the atoms in space. Stereoisomer. Stereoisomers are like LEGO models built with the same blocks but arranged differently to create distinct shapes.