Q.Statement I Cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane is optically inactive.Statem...
The correct answer is: a.
Both Statement I and Statement II are correct, and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I. Cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane is indeed optically inactive because it possesses a plane of symmetry. The plane of symmetry allows the molecule to be superimposable on its mirror image, making it achiral and, therefore, optically inactive. So, both statements are correct, and Statement II provides the correct explanation for why the compound is optically inactive.
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Q.Statement I Cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane is optically inactive.Statem...
Statement I: Cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane is optically inactive.
Cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane is a compound with two chlorine atoms attached to adjacent carbon atoms in a cyclobutane ring. For a compound to be optically active, it must have a chiral center, which is a carbon atom bonded to four different groups. In the case of cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane, there is no chiral center present. Both chlorine atoms are attached to the same carbon atom, and the other carbon atoms in the ring are indistinguishable from each other. Therefore, the compound does not have the necessary symmetry-breaking element to exhibit optical activity.
Statement II: It possesses a plane of symmetry.
A compound possesses a plane of symmetry if there is a plane that divides the molecule into two halves that are mirror images of each other. In the case of cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane, there is indeed a plane of symmetry present. The plane passes through the middle of the cyclobutane ring and bisects the molecule into two identical halves. This plane of symmetry ensures that any optical activity is canceled out, resulting in the compound being optically inactive.
Explanation:
The correct answer is option A, where both Statement I and Statement II are correct, and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I.
Cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane does not possess a chiral center and is therefore optically inactive. The presence of a plane of symmetry in the molecule further confirms its lack of optical activity. The plane of symmetry divides the compound into two halves that are mirror images of each other, and any rotation or inversion of the molecule will result in the same structure. This symmetry ensures that the compound cannot interact with plane-polarized light in a way that would cause optical rotation.
In conclusion, cis-1,4-dichlorocyclobutane is optically inactive due to the absence of a chiral center, and its plane of symmetry further confirms this lack of optical activity.
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