Question

Which of the following is the name for molecules whose structures are nonsuperimposable mirror images?

a) Isomers
b) Enantiomers
c) Stereoisomers
d) Geometric isomers

Answer 1

Molecules that are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other are known as enantiomers, which are a type of stereoisomers crucial in understanding molecular chirality.

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecules whose structures are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other are called enantiomers. Enantiomers are a type of stereoisomers that have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (constitution), but differ in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in space. This concept is vital to understanding molecular chirality and its application in fields such as pharmacology and organic chemistry. For example, the molecules D-glucose and L-glucose are enantiomers, as are D-alanine and L-alanine, which are found in different types of cells. The characteristic of enantiomers to rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions is a property utilized in identifying these isomers.

Answer 2

Main Answer

Enantiomers are the name for molecules whose structures are nonsuperimposable mirror images.The correct option ia A)Enantiomers .

Explanation

Enantiomers are a type of stereoisomer, which refers to molecules that have the same chemical formula but different spatial arrangements of their atoms.

Unlike other types of stereoisomers, such as geometric isomers, enantiomers are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other. This means that if you hold up one enantiomer and its mirror image, they will be identical except for their orientation in space.

Enantiomers are created when a molecule has an asymmetric carbon atom, which is a carbon atom bonded to four different groups. Since there are two possible orientations for the groups around an asymmetric carbon atom, there are two possible enantiomers for that molecule.

These enantiomers are non-superimposable mirror images of each other, meaning that they are identical except for their handedness in space.

The term "handedness" refers to the fact that these molecules can be thought of as left-handed or right-handed gloves. Just as a left glove cannot be superimposed onto a right glove, the left-handed enantiomer cannot be superimposed onto the right-handed enantiomer.

This is because the orientation of the groups around the asymmetric carbon atom is reversed in the left-handed enantiomer.

Enantiomers have identical physical and chemical properties, except for their behavior in chiral environments. Chiral environments are environments where left-handed and right-handed molecules behave differently due to their handedness.

For example, some biological molecules, such as amino acids and sugars, exist in only one enantiomeric form due to their chiral environments. This is because certain biological processes prefer one enantiomer over the other.

In summary, enantiomers are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other that result from an asymmetric carbon atom in a molecule. They have identical physical and chemical properties, except for their behavior in chiral environments.

Understanding enantiomers is important in fields such as chemistry, biology, and pharmacology, as it helps explain why certain molecules have different biological effects depending on their handedness.The correct option ia A)Enantiomers.