Optical Activity

Question

2-Chlorobutane is optically active because:

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A molecule is **optically active** if it is non-superimposable on its mirror image (chiral).
- **2-Chlorobutane** structure: $CH_3-\mathbf{CH(Cl)}-CH_2CH_3$
- The second carbon (C2) is bonded to four completely different groups:
1. $-H$
2. $-Cl$
3. $-CH_3$ (Methyl)
4. $-CH_2CH_3$ (Ethyl)
- Therefore, C2 is a **Chiral Center** (Asymmetric Carbon). It lacks any plane or center of symmetry, allowing for the existence of two enantiomers that rotate plane-polarized light.

Optical Activity

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