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Multiple Choice
Which of the following molecules is chiral?
A
1-butanol
B
2-butanol
C
2-propanol
D
ethanol
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of chirality: A molecule is chiral if it has a carbon atom bonded to four different groups, making it non-superimposable on its mirror image.
Examine 1-butanol: The structure is CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂OH. The carbon atoms in 1-butanol do not have four different groups attached, so it is not chiral.
Examine 2-butanol: The structure is CH₃CH(OH)CH₂CH₃. The second carbon atom is bonded to four different groups: a hydroxyl group (OH), a methyl group (CH₃), an ethyl group (CH₂CH₃), and a hydrogen atom (H), making it chiral.
Examine 2-propanol: The structure is CH₃CHOHCH₃. The central carbon is bonded to two identical methyl groups (CH₃), so it is not chiral.
Examine ethanol: The structure is CH₃CH₂OH. The carbon atoms in ethanol do not have four different groups attached, so it is not chiral.