Which compound does NOT exhibit optical isomerism?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which compound does NOT exhibit optical isomerism?
Lactic acid
Glucose
2-butanol
Butan-2-one
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which compound does NOT exhibit optical isomerism?
Step 1: Understand what optical isomerism is. It occurs when a compound can exist in two different forms that are mirror images of each other, known as enantiomers.
Step 2: Identify what a chiral center is. A chiral center is a carbon atom that is attached to four different groups.
Step 3: Analyze the compound in question, which is butan-2-one. Look for chiral centers in its structure.
Step 4: Determine if butan-2-one has a chiral center. In butan-2-one, the carbon atoms do not have four different groups attached.
Step 5: Conclude that since butan-2-one does not have a chiral center, it cannot exhibit optical isomerism.
