Final answer:
The molecule 5,6-dibromo, 2,3-dimethyl-2-hexene has no stereogenic centers because no carbon atom in this molecule is attached to four different groups, which is the criterion for being a stereogenic center. The correct answer is a. 0.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked how many stereogenic centers are present in the molecule 5,6-dibromo, 2,3-dimethyl-2-hexene. A stereogenic center, often known as a stereocenter, is a carbon atom that is attached to four different groups. This arrangement allows for different spatial arrangements of these groups, leading to different stereoisomers.
To determine the number of stereogenic centers in a molecule, one must examine each carbon atom in the molecule to see if it meets the criteria for being a stereogenic center. Upon closer inspection of the molecule in question (which is not explicitly drawn here but can be inferred from its name), we can reveal the following details:
- The 2-hexene indicates that there is a double bond between carbon atoms 2 and 3, which means that each of these carbon atoms can't be stereogenic, as they are not each bonded to four different groups because of the double bond.
- The 2,3-dimethyl groups indicate that there are methyl groups attached to the second and third carbon atoms, but this does not lead to additional stereogenic centers due to the double bond's presence.
- The 5,6-dibromo suggests there are bromine atoms attached to the fifth and sixth carbon atoms, and unless these carbon atoms are also attached to three other different groups (which they are not because the molecule is a hexene, meaning there are only 6 carbon atoms), they would not considered as stereogenic centers.
Considering this, the molecule 5,6-dibromo, 2,3-dimethyl-2-hexene does not have any stereogenic centers, as none of the carbon atoms meet the required criteria. Thus, the answer is a. 0.