--- title: "E/Z and cis/trans alkenes Template – Chemistry Diagram | MolDraw" url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/stereo-ez-alkenes/ description: "E/Z and cis/trans alkenes template: (Z)- and (E)-but-2-ene, the trisubstituted 3-methylpent-2-ene, and 2-bromobut-2-ene, where trans-methyl groups are (Z)…" lang: en publisher: Scidart Academy generated: 2026-10-28 --- [MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [Templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) › [Stereochemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/stereochemistry/) › E/Z and cis/trans alkenes [Stereochemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/stereochemistry/)Premium # E/Z and cis/trans alkenes template ![E/Z and cis/trans alkenes template: (Z)- and (E)-but-2-ene, the trisubstituted 3-methylpent-2-ene, and 2-bromobut-2-ene, where trans-methyl groups are (Z): E/Z by CIP priorities against cis/trans.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/stereo-ez-alkenes.webp) [Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)Download with Pro Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of [MolDraw Pro](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing). (Z)- and (E)-but-2-ene, the trisubstituted 3-methylpent-2-ene, and 2-bromobut-2-ene, where trans-methyl groups are (Z): E/Z by CIP priorities against cis/trans. ## What the template shows - Rank the two groups on each alkene carbon: higher priorities on the same side is Z, opposite is E - Alkene stereoisomers - But-2-ene - Each alkene carbon carries CH₃ and H: cis = Z, trans = E - (Z)-but-2-ene - cis: CH₃ groups on the same side - (E)-but-2-ene - trans: CH₃ groups on opposite sides - A trisubstituted alkene - cis/trans has no meaning; E/Z still works - (E)-3-methylpent-2-ene - C3: CH₂CH₃ > CH₃; C2: CH₃ > H; the two winners are opposite - (Z)-3-methylpent-2-ene - the two higher-priority groups on the same side - When the names disagree - E/Z follows priorities, not the carbon chain - (Z)-2-bromobut-2-ene - chain CH₃ groups trans, yet Z: Br outranks CH₃ on C2 - (E)-2-bromobut-2-ene - chain CH₃ groups cis, yet E - Z (zusammen, together): the higher-priority group on each carbon on the same side. E (entgegen, opposite): on opposite sides. - Priorities on each carbon are assigned separately with the CIP rules, exactly as for a stereocentre. - cis/trans only describes two like groups (or the main chain); for tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes use E/Z. - An alkene carbon with two identical groups (C=CH₂, C=C(CH₃)₂) has no E/Z isomers. Drawn with 30 atoms, 4 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw. ## Sources - [Favre & Powell, Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry: IUPAC Recommendations and Preferred Names 2013, RSC 2014, P-9](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780854041824) IUPAC - [Eliel & Wilen, Stereochemistry of Organic Compounds, Wiley 1994, ch. 9](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780471016700) Textbook - [Clayden, Greeves & Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed., OUP 2012](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780199270293) Textbook ## How to use this template 1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor. 2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need. 3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page. 4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the E/Z and cis/trans alkenes template free? You can preview the E/Z and cis/trans alkenes template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates. ### Can I edit the E/Z and cis/trans alkenes template? Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it. ### Is the chemistry checked? Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page. ### Are the R/S labels in the stereochemistry templates checked? Yes. 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