Haloalkanes and Haloarenes - Result Question 12
####12. If there is no rotation of plane polarised light by a compound in a specific solvent, though to be chiral, it may mean that
[2007]
(a) the compound is certainly meso
(b) there is no compound in the solvent
(c) the compound may be a racemic mixture
(d) the compound is certainly achiral.
Show Answer
Solution:
- (a) Compounds which do not show optical activity inspite of the presence of chiral carbon atoms are called meso-compounds.
The absence of optical activity in these compound is due to the presence of a plane of symmetry in their molecules. e.g. meso-tartaric acid is optically inactive.
