How Do You Spell ACHIRAL?

Pronunciation: [ɐt͡ʃˈɜːɹə͡l] (IPA)

Achiral is a term used in chemistry to describe a molecule that lacks chirality – or handedness. The word "achiral" is pronounced "uh-KYE-ruhl" and is spelled using the phonetic transcription system IPA, which stands for International Phonetic Alphabet. The first syllable of the word is pronounced with a neutral "uh" sound, while the second syllable sounds like "KYE", which rhymes with "lie". The final syllable is pronounced with a short "u" sound, like "ull". Students of chemistry will often encounter this term in their studies of organic chemistry and biochemistry.

ACHIRAL Meaning and Definition

1. Achiral is an adjective used in the field of chemistry to describe a molecule or object that does not possess chirality. Chirality refers to the property of a molecule or object that cannot be superimposed onto its mirror image. In other words, achiral objects are identical to their mirror images. This concept is often used to describe certain organic compounds, specifically those with carbon atoms bonded to four different groups.

   For a molecule to be chiral, it must have a non-superimposable mirror image, which is often caused by the presence of an asymmetric carbon atom. In contrast, an achiral molecule possesses a plane of symmetry that allows it to be superimposed onto its mirror image. This means that achiral molecules are identical to their mirror images and lack chirality.

   Achirality is an important concept in organic chemistry as it affects the properties and reactions of molecules. Achiral molecules can exist in two forms, known as enantiomers, which are mirror images of each other but are otherwise identical. However, achirality implies that these enantiomers are superimposable, resulting in identical physical and chemical properties.

   Overall, achiral is an essential term to differentiate molecules or objects with no chirality, lacking the property of being asymmetric and having identical physical and chemical properties to their mirror images.

Common Misspellings for ACHIRAL

• zchiral
• schiral
• wchiral
• qchiral
• axhiral
• avhiral
• afhiral
• adhiral
• acgiral
• acbiral
• acniral
• acjiral
• acuiral
• acyiral
• achural
• achjral
• achkral
• achoral
• ach9ral
• ach8ral

Etymology of ACHIRAL

The term "achiral" originates from the combination of two components: "a-" and "chiral".

The prefix "a-" in Greek means "without" or "not". It is commonly used to indicate negation or lack of something. For example, in the word "asymmetrical", the prefix "a-" means "not" and "symmetrical" means "having symmetry". Similarly, in "amoral", "a-" means "without" and "moral" means "ethical".

The word "chiral" on the other hand, comes from the Greek word "cheir", which means "hand". In chemistry, "chiral" is used to describe a molecule that is not superimposable on its mirror image. It refers to the property of having two different arrangements of atoms that cannot be superimposed because of their handedness.