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Chapter 1: Problem 116

The number of optically active stereoisomers possible for the compound 2,3 -dihydroxy butane are (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 6 (d) 8

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: (a) 4 optically active stereoisomers.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the chiral centers

In 2,3-dihydroxy butane, there are two chiral centers at C2 and C3. They have four different groups attached to them: one Hydrogen atom (H), one Methyl group (CH3), and two Hydroxyl groups (OH).
02

Determine the number of possible configurations

Since there are two chiral centers, each with two possible configurations, we can have a total of 2^2 = 4 possible configurations (R or S) at the chiral centers.
03

Define the configurations

For C2: 1. R configuration: OH group is in a clockwise manner with respect to the H and CH3 groups. 2. S configuration: OH group is in an anticlockwise manner with respect to the H and CH3 groups. For C3: 1. R configuration: OH group is in a clockwise manner with respect to the H and CH3 groups. 2. S configuration: OH group is in an anticlockwise manner with respect to the H and CH3 groups.
04

Find the possible combinations of configurations

Now, let's find the possible combinations of configurations at C2 and C3: 1. C2: R, C3: R 2. C2: R, C3: S 3. C2: S, C3: R 4. C2: S, C3: S
05

Identify the optically active stereoisomers

All four possible combinations of configurations at C2 and C3 give rise to optically active stereoisomers because each stereoisomer has a unique arrangement of OH (hydroxyl) groups at the chiral centers. So, the correct answer is (a) 4 optically active stereoisomers.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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