Question

If a molecule has 2 chiral centers, how many stereoisomers might it have?

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 8

Answer 1

A molecule with 2 chiral centres can have a maximum of 4 stereoisomers, calculated using the formula 2^n. Option C is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a molecule has 2 chiral centres, it can have a maximum of 4 stereoisomers. This is because the number of possible stereoisomers can be calculated using the formula 2n, where n is the number of chiral centres.

Thus, for a molecule with 2 chiral centres, we calculate 22 which equals 4. Compounds like erythrose and tartaric acid, with two chiral centres, illustrate this concept. However, in some cases such as tartaric acid, the actual number of stereoisomers might be less than the maximum due to the possibility of having meso forms that are achiral.