Question

The number of optical isomers possible for 3, 4-dichloropentan-2-ol is ______.

Options

• Eight

• Four

• Sixteen

• Two

Answer 1

The number of optical isomers possible for 3, 4-dichloropentan-2-ol is eight.

Explanation:

\[\begin{array}{cc}
\ce{H}\phantom{...}\ce{OH}\phantom{...}\ce{Cl}\phantom{...}\ce{Cl}\phantom{...}\ce{H}\\
|\phantom{.....}|\phantom{.....}|\phantom{.....}|\phantom{.....}|\\
\ce{H - C - C^* - C^* - C^* - C - H}\\
|\phantom{.....}|\phantom{.....}|\phantom{.....}|\phantom{.....}|\\
\phantom{.....}\underset{\text{3, 4 - dichloropentan - 2- ol}}{\ce{H}\phantom{....}\ce{H}\phantom{....}\ce{H}\phantom{....}\ce{H}\phantom{....}\ce{H}}
\end{array}\]

Number of chiral carbon atoms (n) = 3

∴ Optical isomers possible are 2ⁿ = 2³ = 8