Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
Given the molecule , is it chiral or achiral?
A
Chiral
B
Achiral
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the structure of 2-butanol. It is a four-carbon chain with an -OH group attached to the second carbon: CH3-CH(OH)-CH2-CH3.
Determine the stereocenter(s) in the molecule. A stereocenter (chiral center) is a carbon atom bonded to four different groups.
Examine the second carbon in 2-butanol. It is bonded to: (1) a hydroxyl group (-OH), (2) a methyl group (-CH3), (3) an ethyl group (-CH2CH3), and (4) a hydrogen atom (-H).
Since the second carbon is attached to four different substituents, it is a stereocenter, making the molecule potentially chiral.
Confirm that there is no internal plane of symmetry or superimposable mirror image, which would make the molecule achiral. In this case, 2-butanol lacks such symmetry, so it is chiral.