Question

If a compound has 3 chiral carbons What is the number of optically active isomers?

(a) 9

(b) 3

(c) 4

(d) 8

I have been asked this question in an internship interview.

Query is from Organic Chemistry in section Organic Chemistry – Basic Principles and Technique of Chemistry – Class 11

Answer 1

The correct option is (d) 8

Best explanation: The number of optically active isomers for a compound is given as 2^n where, n represents the number of chiral carbons in that particular carbon, here as the compound has 3 chiral carbons n = 3, so the number of optically active isomers equals 2^3 = 8.