Question

Identify the chirality center (sometimes called chiral atom) in each molecule.

Okay, so I do understand the meaning of Chirality center or chiral atom. However, I don't know which one is chirality center or not. I thought that Carbon at theend of each molecule are chiral atom, but they are not. So, I do not know which one is chiral atom or not.

Answer 1

Compound 1: None

Compound 2: Carbon attached to Br, CH₃, H, and C

Compound 3: Carbon attached to Br, OH, H, and C

So for starters, a chirality center is any carbon atom that is attached to 4 different groups. So in compound 1 as we proceed down the line, there are no carbons that meet that requirement whether it be multiple hydrogens or carbons. In compound 2, you see that the 3 carbons within the chain are attached to a methyl group, bromide, another carbon, and hydrogen and that's your answer. Continue on for the 3rd and I hope this helped ^_^