Question

How can separate samples of optical isomers be distinguished?

Answer 1

Hint:Isomers are the molecules having the same chemical formulae but there is a difference in the arrangement of their atoms or groups in space.Two main types of isomers are stereoisomers and constitutional isomers.In the case of the stereoisomers, the bond connectivity is the same but different special arrangement groups or atoms of the compound.In the case of the constitutional isomers bond connectivity is different.Optical isomers are one of the types of stereoisomers that are optically active.

Complete answer:The optically active compound rotates the plane of the plane polarised light and this property of the optically active compounds is very important to distinguish them.Based on the direction of the rotation two types of optical isomers are R and S.The R isomer rotates the plane of the plane polarised light to the right side that is in a clockwise direction.The isomer rotates the plane of the plane polarised light to the left side that is anti-clockwise is ‘S; isomer.If there are separate samples of the optical isomers then by checking their optical activity we can distinguish them as R and S isomers.Thus, by the rotation of the optical isomers, we can distinguish them.

Note:Optical isomers are optically active that is which rotates the plane of the plane polarised light.The two types of optical isomers are enantiomers which are non-superimposable mirror images of each other and diastereomers are not mirror images of each other.In the case of the optical isomers, one rotates the plane of the plane polarised light clockwise while others rotate the plane of the plane polarised light anti-clockwise.