Chirality
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Template:Wiktionary Chirality (Greek handedness, derived from the word stem χειρ~, ch[e]ir~ - hand~) is an asymmetry property important in several branches of science. An object or a system is called chiral if it differs from its mirror image. Such objects then come in two forms, which are mirror images of each other, and these pairs of mirror image objects are called enantiomorphs (Greek opposite forms) or, when referring to molecules, enantiomers. A non-chiral object is called achiral (sometimes also amphichiral).
Chirality is observed as:
- Chirality (mathematics) of mathematical objects
- Chirality (physics) of some subatomic particles
- Chirality (chemistry) of some molecules
- chirality of certain crystalline solids. Of the 230 existing space groups 65 are chiral. Sodium chlorate is an achiral ionic compound but crystallizes in a chiral P213 space group. An example of an achiral organic compound forming chiral crystals is benzil. Racemic acid is the racemic form of tartaric acid forming a mixture of two enantiomorphic crystals each form consisting of one of the two enantiomers.
- the chirality of surfaces. Materials with bulk chirality can be cleaved exposing a chiral surface.
- Chirality (manga), a manga by Satoshi Urushihara
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See also
es:Quiralidad fr:Chiralité ja:キラル pl:Chiralność ru:Хиральность