Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT: 2392-2396 (25 February- 1 March, 2013) Weekly Comic Discussion Thread
Pilchard123:
--- Quote from: Barmymoo on 25 Feb 2013, 04:12 ---I don't know what an isomer is
--- End quote ---
I could do with keeping some of my chemistry knowledge active, so here goes. An isomer is a molecule that has the same molecular formula (basically just the same number of atoms of each element) as another, but has them arranged differently. There are multiple types of isomerism, but cis/trans isomerism (geometric isomerism; E/Z isomerism from the German entgegen and zusammen - respectively 'against, contrary to, in opposition to' and 'together') has to do with the arrangement of atoms in space rather than the bonds that they have. A double (or more) bond cannot 'rotate' much at all, whereas a single bond can.
The simplest cis isomer that I can think of if something like cis-1,2-dichloroethene, which can be represented like this:
--- Code: ---Cl Cl
\ /
C == C The chlorine atoms are on the same side of the bond
/ \
H H
--- End code ---
The corresponding (although with longer molecules you can have more than two geometric isomers) trans isomer is cis-1,2-dichloroethene:
--- Code: ---Cl H
\ /
C == C Opposite sides
/ \
H Cl
--- End code ---
A trans fat is a fat with trans isomers making up some (all? I'm not sure) of its fatty acids. I've left out the ends of the chain, but they'd look something like this:
--- Code: --- H H H
| | |
..... C -- C -- C -- H H
| | \ /
H H C == C H H The hydrogen atoms are on opposite sides of the double bond, as are the carbon chains
/ \ | |
H H -- C -- C -- C .....
| | |
H H H
--- End code ---
See, this is about when Akima comes and tells me that I'm talking rubbish. :D
Barmymoo:
I sort of half understood some of that, which is more than can be said of most of the science I have encountered in my life! Thanks :)
TimO:
--- Quote from: Pilchard123 on 25 Feb 2013, 11:39 ---See, this is about when Akima comes and tells me that I'm talking rubbish. :D
--- End quote ---
I think that sounds plausibly correct, although I'm a physicist who has spent his career doing electronics and software engineering, so not much of a judge in this context.
I also suspect that usage of Cis and Trans in the ways that have been discussed relate far more to their Latin meanings rather than chemistry, interesting though the chemistry is.
Wikipedia entry on organic chemistry cis/trans isomerism
Pilchard123:
Yea, the chemical use is based on the Latin meanings of cis/trans as well. I just felt like digging up some college stuff that I haven't used for a few months as a (possibly) interesting aside.
Kugai:
Claires face is priceless.
So is Martens.
This is definitely going to be an interesting wedding.
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