n Imagine placing two plain mugs in front of you as shown in figure 1.2. They are arranged as mirror images, and yet can be placed alongside each other in such a way as to be indistinguishable. A plain mug is therefore not chiral.

Figure 1.2
Two plain mugs arranged as mirror images .

n As before, imagine placing the mug, now marked with a red X, opposite its mirror image as shown in figure 1.3




Figure 1.3
Two marked mugs arranged as mirror images

These two mugs can be distinguished from each other. For example, if they are stacked up with the handles aligned the red X on one mug is to the right of the handle, and on the other it is to the left. This means that the marked mug is chiral.

n Yes. They contain the same atoms and one enantiomer can only be converted into the other by breaking and reforming bonds.