Question

Is 1,2-dibromo-1,2-dichloroethane chiral and why?

A. Yes, it is chiral because it has a stereocenter.

B. No, it is not chiral because it has no stereocenter.

C. Yes, it is chiral because it has more than one stereocenter.

D. No, it is not chiral because it is a planar molecule.

Answer 1

The compound 1,2-dibromo-1,2-dichloroethane is not chiral because it does not possess any stereocenters and is symmetrical, therefore answer choice B is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Is 1,2-dibromo-1,2-dichloroethane chiral? The correct answer is B. No, it is not chiral because it has no stereocenter. A chiral molecule must have at least one chiral center, which implies that each of its four substituents are different. In the case of 1,2-dibromo-1,2-dichloroethane, each carbon atom has two identical substituents (a bromine and a chlorine), making it achiral.

Furthermore, the molecule is symmetrical, which means it can be divided into two mirror-image halves. Therefore, 1,2-dibromo-1,2-dichloroethane does not have the property of chirality because it lacks stereocenters and has mirror symmetry.