Question

What are chiral compounds?

Answer 1

Hint: We need to know that the racemic mixture is also known as racemate. In a racemic mixture, the chiral molecule contains the left and right enantiomer in equal amounts. Hence, the mixture has the mirror image of one another and it is optically inactive. The racemic acid is the first known racemic mixture and it is the mixture of two enantiomeric isomers of the tartaric acid. And here the net optical activity is equal to zero.

Complete answer:
As we know that the chirality is the property which is shown by the individual molecules. In the case of chiral compounds, which contains the asymmetric center, which means the chiral center or chiral atom. And it occurs in two non – superimposable mirror images which are known as enantiomers. To identify the compound whether it is chiral or not, first we have to look for the carbon. If four different groups are attached with the carbon atom, then the carbon is chiral atom. And it should have a mirror image. If the mirror image of the molecule is the same, then the compound is achiral. The chiral compound is non – identical with a mirror image that is superimposable. Let’s see the example of chiral compounds,

Here the carbon is a chiral center. Because, four different groups are attached with the carbon.

Note:
We need to remember that the chiral compounds have an asymmetric center which acts as a chiral center and it shows non – superimposable mirror images. The racemic mixture contains the chiral molecules and it does not show the optical activity. The formation of a racemic mixture from chiral material is known as racemization. And forms, same amount of enantiomeric substances.