Final answer:
A chiral carbon must be sp3 hybridized, arranged in a tetrahedral shape with a bond angle of 109.5°, and attached to four different substituents.
Step-by-step explanation:
A chiral carbon is a carbon atom that is attached to four different substituents, creating a molecule that is not superimposable on its mirror image. The correct geometry and hybridization required for a chiral carbon are essential for the creation of two non-superimposable, mirror-image molecules known as enantiomers.
The correct configuration of a chiral carbon is sp3 hybridized, which forms a tetrahedral shape with a bond angle of approximately 109.5°. This hybridization allows for the carbon to be connected to four different substituents, resulting in chirality. It is important to note that a carbon with sp2 hybridization would lead to a planar structure and cannot be chiral as it would only be attached to three different substituents.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is (c) sp3; Tetrahedral; 109.5°; Four different substituents.