Isomerically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that pertains to substances with the same chemical formula but varying structures
2. Relating to the manner in which different isomers exhibit diverse structural configurations despite sharing a molecular formula
3. In a manner concerning compounds that have identical molecular formulas yet differ in their structural arrangements

Etymology: "Isomerically" is a plain formation: the adverb is built from "isomeric" with the adverbial ending "-ally" added. The adjective "isomeric" is itself a derivative of "isomer," the term used in chemistry for a substance that shares its exact chemical formula with another but differs in how its atoms are arranged. The "-ic" ending turns the noun into an adjective, and "-ally" then turns that adjective into an adverb describing the manner of a comparison or relationship. The underlying idea is the one that makes the family of words hang together. Two compounds can contain identical atoms in identical numbers and still behave differently because the atoms are joined in different patterns. "Isomerically" is the word chemists reach for when describing how two such substances relate in structure rather than in composition.