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Introduction to Organic Chemistry

Chirality and Enantiomers

  • 3 things to know
  • Papers 2 and 3

Overview

Chiral centres, enantiomers as non-superimposable mirror images, and spotting them in a structure.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What makes a carbon atom chiral, and what are enantiomers?

Key term

What is a chiral centre in an organic molecule?

Key term

What are enantiomers?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is a chiral centre in an organic molecule?

    Model answer

    A carbon atom bonded to four different groups.

  2. 2

    What structural feature must a carbon atom have to be a chiral centre?

    Model answer

    It must be bonded to four different atoms or groups of atoms.

  3. 3

    What are enantiomers?

    Model answer

    Enantiomers are a pair of stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other.

  4. 4

    How are enantiomers related to each other spatially?

    Model answer

    They are mirror images of each other that cannot be superimposed.

  5. 5

    What type of isomerism do enantiomers exhibit?

    Model answer

    Optical isomerism.

  6. 6

    How many different groups must be attached to a carbon atom for it to be a chiral centre?

    Model answer

    Four different groups.

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