Which of the statements below correctly describes an achiral molecule?
A) The molecule has a nonsuperimposable mirror image.
B) The molecule exhibits optical activity when it interacts with plane-polarized light.
C) The molecule has an enantiomer.
D) The molecule might be a meso form.
E) None of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A molecule is achiral if it is superimposable on its mirror image. Therefore, it does not have an enantiomer, nor does it exhibit optical activity. However, an achiral molecule might have a meso form, which is a molecule that has chiral centers but is overall achiral due to internal symmetry.

Which of the Statements Below Correctly Describes an Achiral Molecule