Optical Activity of 2-Chlorobutane

Optical activity is the ability of a molecule to rotate the plane of polarized light. In this context, we will discuss the optical activity of 2-chlorobutane.

Introduction
2-chlorobutane is an organic compound with the molecular formula C4H9Cl. It is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. It is an isomer of n-butyl chloride and can be synthesized by the reaction of n-butyl alcohol with hydrochloric acid.

Chirality
Chirality is a term used to describe a molecule that is not superimposable on its mirror image. A chiral molecule exists in two enantiomeric forms, known as the R and S forms. These forms have identical physical properties except for their interaction with polarized light.

Optical Activity
A chiral molecule can rotate the plane of polarized light either to the left or to the right. This phenomenon is known as optical activity. The degree of rotation is dependent on the concentration of the chiral molecule, the path length of the light, and the wavelength of the light.

2-Chlorobutane's Optical Activity
2-chlorobutane is a chiral molecule because of the presence of a chiral carbon atom. However, it is not optically active because the R and S forms have identical physical properties and cannot rotate the plane of polarized light.

Conclusion
In conclusion, 2-chlorobutane is a chiral molecule, but it is not optically active because the R and S forms have identical physical properties.

2-chlorobutane is an optically active molecule. the carbon numbered as 2 in the molecule is chiral as it has different substituents [-c2h5, ch3, H, Cl] attached to it. thus it rotates plane polarised light in different directions giving rise to two enantiomers [R, S] of the compound.