Asked by Austin Bonney on Jul 31, 2024
Verified
Which of the statements below correctly describes an achiral molecule?
A) The molecule has a nonsuperimposable mirror image.
B) The molecule exhibits optical activity when it interacts with plane-polarized light.
C) The molecule has an enantiomer.
D) The molecule might be a meso form.
E) None of the above
Achiral Molecule
A molecule that is superimposable on its mirror image, lacking chirality or a distinct handedness.
Optical Activity
The ability of a substance to rotate the plane of polarization of polarized light, a property observed in chiral molecules.
Superimposable
Describes when two objects can be placed on top of each other, matching perfectly in shape and size.
- Absorb the fundamental ideas of chirality and achirality in the context of molecular chemistry.
- Understand and identify meso compounds.
Verified Answer
XA
Xavier AnthonyAug 01, 2024
Final Answer :
D
Explanation :
A molecule is achiral if it is superimposable on its mirror image. Therefore, it does not have an enantiomer, nor does it exhibit optical activity. However, an achiral molecule might have a meso form, which is a molecule that has chiral centers but is overall achiral due to internal symmetry.
Learning Objectives
- Absorb the fundamental ideas of chirality and achirality in the context of molecular chemistry.
- Understand and identify meso compounds.