[SrV]

Hello I am a student wondering when should a Diels-Alder product be optically active or not?

Sincerely,
Confused


Mod Edit: It is Diels-Alder. Corrected.

[Dan]

You must show you have attempted the question, this is a Forum Rule.

What symmetry properties must a molecule have to be optically active?

[SrV]

More specifically the reactions:

3-sulfolene  indirect heated with

1) dimethyl maleate

2) dimethyl fumarate.
Mentally see products but not optical activity.

[SrV]

You must show you have attempted the question, this is a Forum Rule.

What symmetry properties must a molecule have to be optically active?

Chirality and ability to rotate polarized light.

[Dan]

What symmetry properties must a molecule have to be optically active?

Chirality and ability to rotate polarized light.

"The ability to rotate polarised light" is just rephrasing the term "optically ative". A molecule is optically active if it is chiral.

So, are the products of those two reactions chiral or not?

Hint: Look up the definition of chiral.

[SrV]

Dear Dan I have completed the reactions and they both in the cis form have two chiral Carbons and are symmetric.

[camptzak]

can you slam us up with some structures?

[Dan]

Dear Dan I have completed the reactions and they both in the cis form have two chiral Carbons and are symmetric.

Sounds like you got this wrong, please post structures.

[SrV]

these isomers are amazingly rare in that they are named differently yet only are different in their conformation. 
Thank you for helping me learn more about then and their results.