Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Optical Activity
Optical activity refers to the ability of a chiral compound to rotate the plane of polarized light. A compound is considered optically active if it lacks an internal plane of symmetry and has a non-superimposable mirror image. This property is crucial for distinguishing between enantiomers, which are pairs of chiral molecules that are mirror images of each other.
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Chirality and Symmetry
Chirality is a geometric property of some molecules that makes them non-superimposable on their mirror images. A molecule is chiral if it has at least one carbon atom bonded to four different substituents, leading to two distinct enantiomers. Conversely, if a molecule has an internal plane of symmetry, it is achiral and cannot exhibit optical activity.
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Reaction Products and Stereochemistry
The stereochemistry of reaction products is essential in determining their optical activity. In the case of the reaction between 1,3-butadiene and cis-1,2-dichloroethene, the resulting product may have a symmetrical structure that leads to the cancellation of optical activity. Understanding the spatial arrangement of atoms in the product helps in assessing whether it is chiral or achiral.
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