Global Chemical Database

trans-1,2-Cyclobutanedicarboxylic acid

CAS 1124-13-6

trans-1,2-Cyclobutanedicarboxylic acid
Can two molecules contain exactly the same atoms, connected in exactly the same order—and still be different chemicals?
Absolutely. trans-1,2-Cyclobutanedicarboxylic acid gives us a wonderfully small example. Picture a ring made from just four carbon atoms. Now attach two -COOH groups to neighboring carbons.

If both groups point toward the same side of the ring, we call the arrangement cis. If they point toward opposite sides, it's trans. Same atoms. Same connections. Different directions in space. And that matters.
Published: 2026-08-16
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