To prove that two molecules that are enantiomers must possess two
properties, which are 1) they are NOT superimposable, and 2) they are
mirror images.
This activity uses a pair of enantiomers of 2,3-dibromobutane as an
example. The starting orientations in the JSmol windows are also drawn
as Lewis structures below. This clearly shows that the two molecules are
not superimposable.
Students should rotate the right molecule by holding a left click and
dragging the molecule into a desired direction. The end goal is to
change the right molecule to appear as a mirror image of the left
one,
as similar to the suggested Lewis structure shown below.