Alkenes: Restricted Rotation at the Double Bond
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An alkene contains a carbon-carbon double bond, each sp2 carbon trigonal planar, rotation around the bond restricted since it would break the pi bond.
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Ethene's carbons and hydrogens all lie in one plane, held rigid by the double bond's pi bond.
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A nearby single bond still rotates freely — the restriction applies only at the double bond, not the rest.