Multiple Choice
Which of the following compounds is optically active?
22
views
5. Chirality
Chirality
Struggling with Organic Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Which of the following best describes a chiral center in an organic molecule?
A
A carbon atom bonded to two identical groups
B
A carbon atom bonded to only atoms
C
A carbon atom bonded to different groups
D
A carbon atom in a double bond
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that a chiral center (also called a stereocenter) is a carbon atom that has four different substituents attached to it, making it asymmetrical.
Recall that if a carbon is bonded to two identical groups, it cannot be a chiral center because the molecule would have a plane of symmetry.
Note that a carbon bonded to only three atoms is typically involved in a double bond or is a carbocation, and such carbons do not qualify as chiral centers because they lack four substituents.
Recognize that carbons involved in double bonds (sp2 hybridized) are planar and cannot be chiral centers since they do not have four different groups attached.
Therefore, the best description of a chiral center is a carbon atom bonded to four different groups, which creates non-superimposable mirror images (enantiomers).
Related Videos
Related Practice
