Question 26.6: Identifying a Chiral Molecule. Predict whether either 2-chlo......

Analyze
To decide whether a molecule is chiral, we look for a C atom that has four different groups attached.
Solve
The two compounds are shown below.

We see that 2-chloropentane contains a C atom that has four different groups attached; hence, 2-chloropentane is chiral. However, 3-chloropentane does not have such a C atom; its structure is identical to its mirror image and thus, 3-chloropentane is achiral.
Assess
In drawing the structures, we focused only on the carbons to which the Cl atoms were attached. All the other carbons are bonded to at least two H atoms (two groups are the same) and cannot possibly be chiral.