Constitutional isomers differ in what aspect?

Constitutional isomers differ in what aspect?

• A. Same chemical formula, connected differently
• B. Same chemical formula, connected the same way
• C. Different chemical formula, connected identically
• D. Different functional groups but the same three-dimensional arrangement

Answer: (A)

Constitutional (structural) isomerism is about molecules that share the same molecular formula but have different connections among their atoms. In other words, the atoms are linked in a different order, giving distinct structures. An exact example is C4H10, which can be n-butane or isobutane—they have the same formula but different carbon skeletons, so they are different compounds. This is distinct from stereoisomers, where the connectivity is the same but the spatial arrangement differs. The option describing the same formula with a different connectivity matches this idea best.

Constitutional (structural) isomerism is about molecules that share the same molecular formula but have different connections among their atoms. In other words, the atoms are linked in a different order, giving distinct structures. An exact example is C4H10, which can be n-butane or isobutane—they have the same formula but different carbon skeletons, so they are different compounds. This is distinct from stereoisomers, where the connectivity is the same but the spatial arrangement differs. The option describing the same formula with a different connectivity matches this idea best.