Which of the following statement is not correct for Butan-2-ol?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → It is optically inactive
Let’s analyze Butan-2-ol (CH₃–CH(OH)–CH₂–CH₃):
- Stereocentre:
- The second carbon (C2) has four different groups: –OH, –CH₃, –CH₂CH₃, –H → one stereocentre
- Chirality:
- Presence of one stereocentre → molecule is chiral
- Optical activity:
- Pure enantiomer is optically active
- Racemic mixture (50:50) → optically inactive
- Non-superimposable mirror images:
- True for chiral compounds