Optical Isomers Flashcards
1
Q
What are optical isomers (enantiomers)?
A
Pairs of molecules that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other
2
Q
What is a racemic mixture / racemate?
A
A mixture that has equal amounts of left and right-handed enantiomers of a chiral molecule
3
Q
What type of isomerism is optical isomerism?
A
Stereoisomerism
4
Q
What is a chiral centre?
A
A carbon atom with four different groups attached to it
5
Q
What does plane-polarised mean in regard to light?
A
All the light waves have the same polarisation (vibrate in the same plane)
6
Q
What do enantiomers do to plane-polarised light?
A
They rotate the light in opposite directions to each other
7
Q
Why are racemates optically inactive?
A
The different optical activities of each enantiomer exactly cancel each other out
