is optical purity covered on the mcat?

[study pray love]

I know optical rotation is covered (as is indicated in the AAMCAS biological science content outline)

but do we have to know optical purity and/ or enantiomeric excess?

Thanks!

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[macsta]

I know optical rotation is covered (as is indicated in the AAMCAS biological science content outline)

but do we have to know optical purity and/ or enantiomeric excess?

Thanks!

I think you just need to know the basics of optical rotation...racemic mixtures are the same magnitude and different signs. And if the specific rotation is not 0, then one enantiomer is in excess (R or S).

 

[study pray love]

thanks macsta!=)

 

[salim271]

TBR puts an emphasis on understanding how a polarimeter works, but so far from the AAMC practice tests and my real MCAT, its not necessary. Understand optical rotations on a very basic level, and their place in basic mechs such as SN1/SN2.

 

[MD Odyssey]

I know optical rotation is covered (as is indicated in the AAMCAS biological science content outline)

but do we have to know optical purity and/ or enantiomeric excess?

Thanks!

Optical purity and enantiomeric excess feel like subjects which, if they were present on the MCAT, would probably be described in the passage.