The necessary condition for a compound to be optically active is (a) the presence of no chiral atom (b) the presence of atleast one asymmetric atoms (c) the presence of chirality in the molecule (d) none of these

Short Answer

Expert verified
The necessary condition for a compound to be optically active is the presence of at least one asymmetric atoms (Option b).

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Chirality

Optical activity in compound spotlights on chirality of molecules. Chirality refers to the existence of two mirror-image forms of a molecule, termed enantiomers. These molecules are non-superimposable on their mirror images.
02

Chiral Atom Definition

A chiral atom, or asymmetric atom, is an atom that has different substituents attached to it. This creates a situation where there's no symmetry in the molecule.
03

Determining the Condition for Optical Activity

Given the understanding of chirality and chiral atoms, it can be stated that for a compound to exhibit optical activity, there must be at least one chiral or asymmetric atom present in the molecule. This statement aligns with option (b).

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