Explanation:

Halogenation is a reaction in which a halogen (such as chlorine or bromine) is added to an organic compound. In this case, we are halogenating a pentane molecule, which has five carbons. There are three different isomers of pentane: n-pentane, isopentane, and neopentane.

n-pentane: This is the straight-chain isomer, with all five carbons in a row.

isopentane: This is a branched isomer, with a methyl group (CH3) attached to the second carbon.

neopentane: This is also a branched isomer, but with a more complicated structure. It has two methyl groups attached to the second carbon, and one methyl group attached to the third carbon.

When we halogenate a pentane molecule, we are adding a halogen atom to one of the carbon atoms. Since there are multiple carbon atoms in the molecule, we can add the halogen to different positions.

In the case of n-pentane and isopentane, there is only one possible site for halogenation: the carbon at the end of the chain. This is because the other carbons in the chain are already bonded to two other carbons and two hydrogen atoms, so there is no room for a halogen to attach.

In the case of neopentane, there are multiple possible sites for halogenation. However, since the molecule is highly branched, the halogenation reaction is more complicated and can result in different products.

Overall, the halogenation of pentane can result in a racemic mixture because it can produce different isomers depending on which carbon is halogenated, and different isomers can have different properties.