What is meant by the term chiral?

Chirality is defined rather grandly as asymmetry such that an image and it's reflection are not superimposable. This means that if you reflect the object in a mirror it won't look exactly the same.

For example, a star is not chiral, because if you reflect it, you would be able to put the reflected image on top of the original. On the other hand, your hands are chiral - they are reflections of each other, but you can't put one on top of the other - think of it as trying to put a glove for your left hand on your right hand.

CM
Answered by Chris M. Chemistry tutor

4184 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

A sample of CaCO3 has been weighed in at 6.3 g. How many moles of calcium carbonate are present?


How can pressure affect the equilibrium shift of a reversible gaseous reaction?


How do you describe the process of recrystallisation to purify a product?


Predict whether the lattice energy of magnesium oxide, MgO, is more or less exothermic than the lattice energy of magnesium sulfide, MgS. Justify your answer in terms of the sizes and the charges of the ions involved.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning