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Topic: What's the meaning of optically active?  (Read 1934 times)

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Offline WilliamYWT

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What's the meaning of optically active?
« on: April 30, 2013, 08:00:58 AM »
I've come across this question when I was studying.

The chlorination of propane under diffuse sunlight gave four dichloro products C3H6Cl2 - A, B, C and D. Each of the products was further chlorinated and the trichloro products C3H5Cl3 were formed and analysed. It was found that A gave one trichloro product, B gave two, while C and D gave three. Nevertheless, compound C is optically active while D is not. Suggest the structural formulae and names of A-D.

I've found that A is 2,2-dichloropropane, B is 1,3-dichloropropane and C and D would be 1,1-dichloropropane or 1,2-dichloropropane, one or another, so I want to ask what does optically active really mean so I can figure out the answer of this question, thank you for reading this.

P.S. If you don't mind, I want to know what is the fastest way to come across such questions, e.g. how many structural isomers would C3H5Cl3 have, drawing the structures one by one would be too time-consuming in exam.
William Yeung

Offline Dan

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Re: What's the meaning of optically active?
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2013, 08:16:51 AM »
If something is optically active, it is chiral.
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