4.1- stereoisomerism

Question 1

what is optical activity?

Answer 1

optical activity occurs in molecules that possess chiral centre(s)
these molecules rotate the plane of plane polarised light

Question 2

what is racemic mixture?

Answer 2

racemic picture is an equimolar mixture of both enantiomers that produces no overall rotation of the plane of plane polarised light

Question 3

what is an enantiomer?

Answer 3

enantiomers are non-superimposable mirror image forms of each other that rotates the plane of plane polarised light in opposite directions

Question 4

what is a chiral centre?

Answer 4

a chiral centre is an atom in a molecule that is bonded to 4 different atoms or groups

(often chiral carbon atom)

Question 5

E-Z isomers

Answer 5

same shortened structural formula but have a different arrangement of the atoms in space

pi bond restricts rotation around double bond

only exists when groups attached to C=C are different

Question 6

what are structural isomers?

Answer 6

structural isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula but differ in their arrangement of atoms (different structural formula)

functional group may be at a different position on chain