Question

Which among the following alkyl halides is optically active?

• A. Isobutyl chloride
• B. tert. butyl bromide
• C. sec. butyl iodide
• D. n butyl bromide

Hint:

For optical activity, look for a chiral center — a carbon attached to four different groups.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding optical activity.
A compound is optically active if it has a chiral center (a carbon atom with four different substituents). Sec-butyl iodide has a chiral center, making it optically active.
Step 2: Analyzing the options.
(A) Isobutyl chloride: Incorrect. Isobutyl chloride is not optically active because it does not have a chiral center.
(B) tert. butyl bromide: Incorrect. tert-butyl bromide is not optically active because it has no chiral center.
(C) sec. butyl iodide: Correct. sec-butyl iodide has a chiral center and is optically active.
(D) n butyl bromide: Incorrect. n-butyl bromide is not optically active because it does not have a chiral center.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (C) sec. butyl iodide.