Doing a Minor Presentation of Parity/Chirality

In summary, the speaker is doing a presentation on Chirality in their Chemistry class, with a focus on the physics aspect rather than the molecular aspect. They explain how Chirality can be defined for fundamental particles through their spin, and how the weak nuclear force only interacts with left-handed particles. They also mention a link between the chemical and physical definitions of chirality and ask for help in making sure their presentation is accurate and not oversimplified.
  • #1
Vorde
788
0
Hello all.

I'm doing a small presentation on Chirality in my Chemistry class. As the teacher knows I'm really more of a physics/math kid, he said it was okay if I did my presentation on chirality in physics instead of the molecular stuff most people are doing. I knew a bunch before, and I've done some research since, but I was hoping you guys could tell me whether the gist of my 'presentation' is accurate enough.

Here it is, and this is the shortened version of course:
In chemistry it's easy to visualize Chirality as a process by which you find the 'mirror image' molecule of a specified compound. A question then arises as to how one would talk about Chirality of a fundamental particle which has no shape that can be altered by reflection. However, even though it doesn't seem like you could 'reflect' a fundamental particle, you can still define Chirality. If you remember, we talk about particles having 'up' or 'down' spin (this they've been taught).

Well, like it's name suggests, spin isn't just a number, it's a vector: meaning it's pointing in a direction. When a particle is moving, it's spin can either be pointing in the direction of motion or in the exact opposite direction as the particle is moving. If it's pointed in the same direction as the particle is moving then we call it a 'right handed' particle, and if it is moving in the opposite direction then we call it a 'left handed' particle. Now any particle can come in two varieties: left handed and right handed. And these are the two Chiralities of the particle, they are exactly the same in all respects except this. You'd think that, because no shape is changing, it wouldn't matter which Chirality the particle has, but that's not the case.

<Quick side-step onto the fundamental forces and the weak nuclear force - I'm confident about this part>

It turns out that the weak nuclear force will only interact with particles that are left handed! You can have two particles that are exactly identical except for the fact that they have different Chiralities, and one will interact freely with the weak nuclear force while the other will be totally ignored by it!

One of the big questions I have is that, knowing my audience, is it okay to ignore helicity and just talk about Chirality (eschewing the two together a bit)? I know it'll confuse everyone by trying to explain the difference between the two and I'd rather avoid that.

In general I want to make sure that a) I'm on target and b) I'm not oversimplifying.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully for helping me.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #3
DrDu said:
The link between chemical and physical definition of chirality is not so straightforward.
Maybe the following article is interesting to you:

http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/90/12/793.full.pdf

First of all, thank you very much for that link; it was a really interesting read.

As for the rest of my little blurb, would it be within reason to say more or less what I'd said previously, but instead of ending where I did talk about some of the ways molecular Chirality plays a part in molecular formation?
 
  • #4
Vorde said:
Hello all.

One of the big questions I have is that, knowing my audience, is it okay to ignore helicity and just talk about Chirality (eschewing the two together a bit)? I know it'll confuse everyone by trying to explain the difference between the two and I'd rather avoid that.

In general I want to make sure that a) I'm on target and b) I'm not oversimplifying.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully for helping me.

I think that's ok. After all, helicity and chirality become equal for massless particles.
 

1. What is a minor presentation of parity/chirality?

A minor presentation of parity/chirality is a method used to determine the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule. It involves identifying the presence of symmetry elements, such as a mirror plane or an axis of rotation, to determine if a molecule is chiral (non-superimposable on its mirror image) or achiral (superimposable on its mirror image).

2. Why is it important to understand parity/chirality in chemistry?

Understanding the concept of parity/chirality is important in various fields of chemistry, including organic chemistry, biochemistry, and materials science. It allows scientists to predict the physical and chemical properties of molecules, as well as their reactivity and behavior in different environments. Parity/chirality is also crucial in drug design, as chiral molecules can have different biological effects depending on their spatial arrangement.

3. How is a minor presentation of parity/chirality performed?

To perform a minor presentation of parity/chirality, one must first identify the symmetry elements present in a molecule. This can be done by drawing the molecule and noting any planes of symmetry or axes of rotation. Then, the molecule is analyzed to determine if it is chiral or achiral. This can be done by imagining the molecule superimposed on its mirror image. If it cannot be superimposed, it is chiral. If it can be superimposed, it is achiral.

4. What are some real-world applications of parity/chirality?

Parity/chirality has many practical applications in various industries. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is used in drug design to create enantiomerically pure drugs, which can have different biological effects. In the food industry, it is important for flavor and aroma compounds, as enantiomers can have distinct smells and tastes. It is also used in the production of chiral catalysts for chemical reactions and in the development of new materials with specific properties.

5. Are there any limitations to the minor presentation of parity/chirality?

While the minor presentation of parity/chirality is a useful tool, it has some limitations. It only applies to molecules with a specific type of symmetry, and it cannot predict the exact physical properties of a molecule. Additionally, in some cases, a molecule may have multiple chiral centers, making it more complex to determine its overall chirality. It is important to use other methods, such as X-ray crystallography, to confirm the results of a minor presentation of parity/chirality.

Similar threads

I Zig-zag model illuminates helicity vs. chirality?
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
I Graviweak Unification and Coleman-Mandula theorem
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
7
Views
2K
I Questions about Helicity & Chirality: Answers Explained
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
A Why do we write that there are no right-handed neutrinos?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
8
Views
3K
Does charge conjugation affect parity?
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
2K
I Does the Chirality match the helicity?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
10
Views
2K
B Layman question about faster than light communication
    • Quantum Physics
2
Replies
56
Views
5K
Chirality and charge - Could someone please check this
    • Atomic and Condensed Matter
Replies
1
Views
859
Helicity of the anti-fermions
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
B 1-photon emission possible from electron-positron annihilation?
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
23
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top