optical isomerism

• Stereoisomers

  -molecules that have the same structural formula but have the atom arranged differently in space
• chiral carbon

  -A carbon atom attached to four different atoms or groups of atoms

  -compounds w chiral centre exist as optical isomers - aka enantiomers
• enantiomers

  -non-superimposable mirror images - like your right and left hand

  -physical and chemical properties are identical

  -they differ in their ability to rotate plane polarised light

  -one will rotate anticlockwise, the other clockwise
• racemic mixture

  -mixture which contains equal amounts of enantiomers

  -optically INactive as enantiomers will cancel out each others effect and the plane of polarised light will not change