Question

Define the following: (i) Enantiomers
(ii) Racemic mixture

Hint:

Enantiomers always exist in pairs, while racemic mixtures contain equal proportions of both enantiomers, leading to no net optical rotation.

Answer 1

(i) Enantiomers: These are non-superimposable mirror image isomers of a chiral compound. They differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms around a chiral center. (ii) Racemic mixture: A mixture containing equal amounts of two enantiomers. It is optically inactive due to the cancellation of optical activity.