Chem 231 worksheets over lecture 10/3/12: Stereochemistry and chirality
Vocab terms: attempt to remember them from lecture before looking them up!
IsomerChiralitySuperimposableStereogenic centerMeso compoundOptically activeSpecific rotationEnantiomerLevorotatory –
DextrorotatoryConcept questions:
How can you tell if a compound is chiral or not by looking at its structure? What two things must happen
for it to be chiral?
List some forms of carbon that cannot be chiral.
How do polarimeters work? Draw a diagram below of the various components of this instrument:
If you were going to design a system of naming compounds, how would you name chiral compounds?
Problems: Label the following as chiral or achiral. Put *s by the chiral centers.
What classification is this molecule given? How could I make it chiral?
Draw 2 enantiomers of alanine (an amino acid) using solid, wedges, and dashed lines:
Which enantiomer is used in the human body? How would you figure this out? (hint: you can use a
polarimeter)