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Enatiomers vs. Diastereomers
Justine_5420
#1 Posted : Friday, June 12, 2020 9:37:42 PM
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On page 70 of the EK chemistry book, question 48 asks what the relationship is between two cyclopentanes. In the back of the book the answer says that they are diastereomers because they are not non-superimposable mirror images of one another. But diastereomers are non-superimposable images that are not mirror images. Is this a mistake in the book? Could you please confirm the difference between enantiomers and diastereomers and confirm the answer to this question?

INSTR_Katerina_102
#2 Posted : Saturday, June 13, 2020 12:16:50 AM
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Hey, good catch, the answer key is a bit weird in its wording.

Those two molecules are diastereomers, but the answer key words the explanation weirdly.

Note that they say that the two molecules are not non-superimposeable mirror images, implying that these are not enantiomers.

I would rephrase this explanation to say that these molecules are not mirror images of each other, making them diastereomers. However, they are certainly still non-superimposeable upon each other.

You are correct in saying diastereomers are non superimposeable molecules that are not mirror images, and that book agrees with you, it's just a somewhat clumsy wording.

Please let me know if this is still unclear.
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