Absolute configuration refers to the specific three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a chiral molecule, denoted by terms such as R (rectus) and S (sinister) based on the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog priority rules. These designations provide an unambiguous way to describe the orientation of substituents around a chiral center.
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Absolute configuration records a spatial arrangement without leaving its handedness relative to its mirror unspecified. R and S configuration is one naming convention; optical rotation is a measured response.