Why cis-trans isomers exist in certain molecules?
1 Answer
Why? Because certain organic (and inorganic) structures allow the possibility of geometric isomerism.
Explanation:
Take an olefin with an internal double bond, say 2-butene,
With respect to 2-butene, the 2 geometries are, (i) cis -2-butene, with methyl groups on the same side of the double bond; or (ii) trans-2-butene, with methyl groups on different sides of the double bond. This is usually trivial to represent on paper (which of course you will have to do). Please note that the cis and trans isomers, which have both the same formula, AND the same connectivity (i.e
Likewise, take a disubstituted ring structure, e.g.
How do you rationalize and remember all this? The best way is to make a model, and you are generally allowed to bring model sets into exams. Of course, you have to be able to represent your three-dimensional models on two-dimensional paper. This is a non-trivial exercise, and I would refer to your organic texts, and your lecture notes.