Glossary of stereochemical terms

Italicized terms in the text indicate that they are covered elsewhere in this glossary (or that they are a symbol that is generally italicized).

• ac ; ac

  See: torsion angle.

• achiral; achiral

  See: chirality.

• achirotopic; achirotopic

  See: chirotopic.

• optical activity

  A sample (or substance) is said to possess optical activity (or to be optically active), if it is capable of rotating the plane of polarization of a transmitted beam of plane-polarized light. Rotatory power is the classic characteristic (sufficient, but not necessary) for distinguishing between systems containing...