MHT CET Medical202624 April 2026Morning ShiftChemistryGeneral Organic ChemistryActual
Which of the following statement is NOT correct about a racemic mixture?
Options
- AIt is an equimolar mixture of enantiomers.
- BEnantiomers have identical refractive index.
- CIt is optically active.
- DIt is optically inactive.
Correct answer
C. It is optically active.
Step-by-step solution
A racemic mixture is an equimolar mixture of two enantiomers (dextrorotatory and levorotatory). Because the two enantiomers rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions by equal amounts, their rotations cancel each other out. This phenomenon is known as external compensation. As a result, a racemic mixture has a net optical rotation of zero, making it optically inactive. Enantiomers have identical physical properties, such as melting point, boiling point, and refractive index, differing only in their interac