Question

The structure of tartaric acid is

a.Is the form of tartaric acid pictured below optically active? Explain.

Note: The dashed lines show groups directed behind the plane of the page. The wedges show groups directed in front of the plane of the page.

b. Draw the optically active forms of tartaric acid.

Short answer

(a) The form of tartaric acid isnot optically active

(b) Optically active forms of tartaric acid.

Step-by-step solution

To find the form of tartaric acid is optically active

To be able to know if the tartaric acid is optically active, first we must observe the structure given. Observe that there are two chiral carbons, and the image of the structure is super imposable about the plane of symmetry.

since the structure has a plane of symmetry, it is not optically active.

Structure of optically active forms of tartaric acid.

Optically active molecules exist in two isomeric forms that rotate the plane of polarized light in opposite directions.

Tartaric acid contains two chiral carbonatoms. There are four forms of tartaric acid, two of which are optically active.

The figure below shows these two optically active forms of tartaricacid.

Hence Structure of optically active forms of tartaric acid was drawn.