NONCHIRAL Meaning and
Definition
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Nonchiral refers to the property of an object or molecule that lacks chirality, which means it is not asymmetric and does not have a mirror image that cannot be superimposed onto the original structure. In other words, a nonchiral object or molecule possesses symmetry such that it can be divided into two identical halves that are mirror images of each other.
In chemistry, chirality is a fundamental concept that describes the asymmetry or lack of symmetry in a molecule. Chiral molecules exist in two forms called enantiomers, which are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. For example, the human hands are chiral because they are not superimposable on each other.
Conversely, nonchiral objects or molecules possess symmetry elements that allow them to be superimposed on their mirror images. They lack the specific characteristic of chirality. Nonchirality implies that the object or molecule has a plane of symmetry that divides it into identical halves.
A practical example of a nonchiral object is a sphere, which has a point of rotation symmetry passing through any direction. No matter how the sphere is rotated, it will always look the same from any direction. Therefore, a sphere is considered nonchiral.
In summary, nonchiral refers to the absence of chirality or asymmetry in an object or molecule, indicating that it possesses symmetry and can be divided into identical halves that are mirror images of each other.
Common Misspellings for NONCHIRAL
- bonchiral
- monchiral
- jonchiral
- honchiral
- ninchiral
- nknchiral
- nlnchiral
- npnchiral
- n0nchiral
- n9nchiral
- nobchiral
- nomchiral
- nojchiral
- nohchiral
- nonxhiral
- nonvhiral
- nonfhiral
- nondhiral
- noncgiral
- noncbiral
Etymology of NONCHIRAL
The word "nonchiral" is formed by combining the prefix "non-" which means "not" or "without", and the term "chiral".
The term "chiral" originates from the Greek word "kheir" meaning "hand". It was introduced by Lord Kelvin in 1893 to describe certain asymmetric molecules that cannot be superimposed on their mirror images. In chemistry, a molecule is considered chiral if it possesses a nonsuperimposable mirror image. This property is often analogized to a person's hands - one hand is a mirror image of the other but cannot be superimposed, illustrating the concept of chirality.
By adding the prefix "non-" to "chiral", the word "nonchiral" is formed, which denotes something that is not chiral.
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