Definition

A mixture that contains equal amounts of two different enantiomers of a chiral molecule, resulting in no optical activity.

Example

The chemist prepared a racemate to study the properties of the compound.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of a racemate?

I think I read about it in a chemistry book once.

Yeah, it's pretty interesting how it relates to mixtures.

Absolutely! Those kinds of compounds can be really complex.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Racemate → It is formed from "racemus" (from Latin, meaning a bunch of grapes) and the suffix "-ate" (indicating a chemical compound). The word refers to a compound that contains equal amounts of two enantiomers, akin to a bunch of grapes containing different varieties.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'bunch of grapes' ('racemus') to remember that 'racemate' refers to a mixture of two forms of a compound, just like a bunch can have different types of grapes.

Visually Confused Words