Many of a macromolecule's fundamental characteristics are determined by that molecule's degree of polymerization, but the molecule's physical structure also makes a significant contribution to its macroscopic properties.

The terms configuration and conformation are frequently, and mistakenly, used interchangeably to describe the geometric structure of a macromolecule. More correctly, a macromolecule's configuration is that part of its structure that is determined by its chemical bonds. A macromolecule's configuration cannot be altered without breaking and reforming chemical bonds. Conformation, on the other hand, refers to structural effects that arise from the rotation of molecular segments about single bonds. But the two terms are related, as shown below.

There are two types of configurations: cis and trans. The cis configuration arises when substituent groups are located on the same side of a carbon-carbon double bond. The trans configuration describes substituents on opposite sides of the double bond. These structures cannot...