RACEMIC ACID Meaning and
Definition
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Racemic acid is a chemical compound with the molecular formula C2H4O3. It is also known as DL-tartaric acid, as it is the racemic mixture of two enantiomers (mirror-image molecules) known as L-tartaric acid and D-tartaric acid. The term “racemic” refers to the equal amounts of both enantiomers in the mixture.
Racemic acid appears as a colorless crystalline solid at room temperature. It is highly soluble in water, alcohol, and ether. It has a sour taste, similar to that of other acids, and is often used as a food additive and flavoring agent in the food industry.
Although racemic acid has similar properties to other carboxylic acids, it possesses specific characteristics due to its racemic nature. For instance, it does not exhibit optical activity, as the rotation of polarized light is canceled out by the equal amounts of left- and right-handed enantiomers. This makes racemic acid distinct from its individual L- and D-forms.
Racemic acid has various industrial applications. It is commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry as a chiral resolving agent to separate enantiomers. Additionally, it is utilized as a precursor for the synthesis of other chemicals, including drugs, dyes, and fine chemicals.
In summary, racemic acid is a mixture of two mirror-image compounds, L-tartaric acid and D-tartaric acid, with equal amounts of both enantiomers. It is a colorless crystalline solid with versatile applications across multiple industries, including food, pharmaceutical, and chemical production.
Common Misspellings for RACEMIC ACID
- eacemic acid
- dacemic acid
- facemic acid
- tacemic acid
- 5acemic acid
- 4acemic acid
- rzcemic acid
- rscemic acid
- rwcemic acid
- rqcemic acid
- raxemic acid
- ravemic acid
- rafemic acid
- rademic acid
- racwmic acid
- racsmic acid
- racdmic acid
- racrmic acid
- rac4mic acid
Etymology of RACEMIC ACID
The word "racemic acid" comes from a combination of two components: "racemic" and "acid".
The term "racemic" refers to a mixture of equal amounts of two forms of a compound that are mirror images of each other. These forms are known as enantiomers. The word "racemic" originates from the Latin term "racemus", meaning "cluster" or "bunch", which refers to the arrangement of the enantiomers.
The term "acid" comes from the Latin word "acidus", which means "sour". In chemistry, an acid is a substance that donates hydrogen ions (H+) or accepts electrons during a chemical reaction.
Therefore, "racemic acid" denotes a specific type of acid, namely a mixture of equal amounts of the enantiomers of a particular compound.
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