7O- Optical Isomers

Question 1

What type of isomerism is optical isomerism

Answer 1

Stereoisomerism

Question 2

When does optical isomerism occur

Answer 2

When 4 different groups of atoms are attached to a carbon
Called a chiral carbon (denoted with asterisk *)

Question 3

How do optical isomers exist

Answer 3

Both isomers (enantiomers) are non superimposable (can be distinguished from eachother) and are mirror images

Question 4

What’s similar and different between two optical isomers (enantiomers)

Answer 4

Both have similar physical and chemical properties

Each have a different effect on plane polarised light

Question 5

What’s a racemic mixture and it’s effect on plane polarised light

Answer 5

A mixture which has an equal amount of enantiomers

Will not rotate plane polarised light, the rotation of light caused by each isomer cancels out the other