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How to know if an asymmetric carbon is r or s
Accepted Answer
To determine if an asymmetric carbon is R or S, follow these steps:
1. Prioritize the four groups attached to the chiral carbon. Assign priority based on atomic number, with higher atomic number having higher priority. If two groups have the same atom, look at the next atom down the chain until a difference is found.
2. Orient the molecule so that the lowest priority group (group 4) is pointing away from you.
3. Trace a path from group 1 to group 2 to group 3. If this path goes clockwise, the configuration is R (Latin for rectus, meaning right). If the path goes counterclockwise, the configuration is S (Latin for sinister, meaning left).
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