The total number of optically active isomers for CH2 OH(CHOH)3 CHO are (a) 16 (b) 8 (c) 4 (d) 2

Name: Problem 67, Chapter 23: A Complete Resource Book in Chemistry for JEE Main
Uploaded: 2021-10-19T18:05:52-08:00
Duration: 1 min 1 s
Channel: Alkendra Singh
Description: The total number of optically active isomers for CH2 OH(CHOH)3 CHO are (a) 16 (b) 8 (c) 4 (d) 2

step 1 Hello. The question is the total number of optically active isomers 4. So we are going to discus

The total number of optically active isomers for CH2...

Key Concepts

Stereoisomerism

This concept involves molecules that have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms but differ only in the three?dimensional orientations of their atoms in space. In stereochemistry, understanding the different spatial arrangements of atoms is crucial for exploring how these isomers interact with polarized light and other chiral substances.

Chiral Centers

A chiral center is typically a carbon atom bonded to four different substituents, leading to non-superimposable mirror images known as enantiomers. Recognizing and counting chiral centers in a molecule is essential because the number of these centers directly affects the total number of possible stereoisomers, often following the 2^n rule when no internal symmetry is present.

Optical Activity

Optical activity refers to the ability of chiral compounds to rotate the plane of polarized light. This property is a direct consequence of molecular chirality, as each enantiomer rotates light to an equal degree but in opposite directions, making it a fundamental concept for identifying and characterizing optically active isomers.

Meso Compounds

Meso compounds are stereoisomers that, despite having multiple chiral centers, possess an internal plane of symmetry which renders them achiral. Understanding meso compounds is important because they are optically inactive and effectively reduce the number of stereoisomers that will display optical activity when counting chiral configurations.

Transcript

Please give Ace some feedback