Cis and Trans isomers

[Gabbyscholtes 3B]

What is the difference between a cis and trans isomer?

[606012329]

The difference is the orientation of the molecule. If the repeated part of the molecule around the central bonding atom are mirrored on each side (they are on opposite sides) the isomer is trans. If they are on the same side, the isomer is cis.

[Valeria Perez 3J]

To add on to the previous answer, a cis isomer is usually going to have a dipole due to the two dipole moments amplifying each other, whereas the trans isomer's dipoles cancel out. Hope that helps!