JCE Software Chemistry Comes Alive!
R- and S- Configurations

Molecular models are used to demonstrate R- and S- configurations of chiral carbon.

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1.1 MB, 16 seconds

File: MOVIES/TRAM09/0280109.MOV

Voiceover
Orient the molecule so that you are looking down the bond from the chiral carbon atom to the lowest priority group. Counterclockwise orientation of the three visible substituents gives the S- configuration. Clockwise orientation gives the R- configuration.

Discussion
The assignment of R- and S- configurations of chiral carbon atoms is demonstrated. The four substituents about a chiral carbon atom are assigned priority according to increasing atomic number. The molecule is oriented so that the observer looks down the bond from the chiral carbon atom to the lowest priority group (4). If the other three groups are arranged clockwise from highest (1) to lowest priority (3), the configuration is R-. If the orientation is counterclockwise, the configuration is S-.


       

Design, Text and Demonstrator:  
  Gary Trammell University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield, IL 62794
Videographer/Editor:  
  Steve Dykema University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield, IL 62794
Voice:  
  Margaret Biddle University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706
Audio Production:  
  Greg Minix University of Wisconsin - Madison, College of Engineering, Madison, WI 53706
  Jerrold J. Jacobsen University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706