How can you tell if a molecule is achiral?
1 Answer
May 15, 2018
See if it is chiral or not.
Explanation:
By looking at molecular structures a chiral compound has a C atom with 4 different atoms or group attached. If it does not have this it is achiral.
By experimentation: chiral compounds rotate plane polarised light either clockwise or anticlockwise as they exist as a pair of isomers.
Be careful, though, a 50:50 mix of each isomer [a racemic mixture] will have the two rotations cancelling each other out and so no rotation will be detected.
