Before you read this, I suggest you read post 20.27. The picture above shows a molecule of tartaric acid. This molecule is chiral – it is not identical to its mirror image (post 20.27). The form of tartaric acid shown in the picture is called D tartaric acid; its mirror image is called L tartaric… Continue reading 20.30 Diastereoisomers

Introductions Before you read this, I suggest you read posts 20.27 and 20.28. In post 20.27, we saw that optical isomerism occurs when a molecule is not identical to its mirror image. The two forms of the molecule are called optical isomers. They exist as the D or the L form that are mirror images… Continue reading 20.29 Properties of optical isomers