1.

A racemic mixture is optically inactive. Explain.

Answer»
  • A racemic mixture contains equimolar (or equimolecular) quantities of the dextrorotatory (d-) and laevorotatory (l-) isomers (enantiomers) of a compound. 
  • The d-enantiomer rotates the plane of plane-polarized light to the right, while the l-enantiomer rotates the same to the left to the same extent.
  • The quantities of the d- and lenantiomers being the same, both the rotations are of the same magnitude, but of opposite directions. Hence, they cancel each other. Hence, a racemic mixture is optically inactive.
  • It is represented as dl or (+). Example : ( ± ) lactic acid  


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