Question

How would you identify which of the following molecules are chiral and which are achiral: butane, 2-butanol, 2-propanol, 2-bromobutane, and 1-bromobutane?

Answer 1

butane - achiral
2-butanol - chiral
2-propanol - achiral
2-bromobutane - chiral
1-bromobutane - achiral

Explanation:

When a molecule has two enantiomeric forms then it is chiral. When it doesn't have an enantiomer then it achiral...you differentiate between them by several methods;

First method;
you can draw the molecule and check if it has plane of symmetry (plane that bisects a molecule into halves that are mirror images of each other)...if it has plane of symmetry,then it is achiral
Example;
= Butane

Second method ;
You can draw molecule and its mirror image side by side if they are different then the compound is chiral, if they are the same then the compound is achiral
Example 2-butanol