Calculating Optical Isomers Quickly

Finding optical isomers is actually a total breeze if you know the secret formula.

Take this five-carbon chain for example. We just need to spot the chiral carbons.

That is literally just any carbon attached to four completely different groups.

Look closely at the structure. The second, third, and fourth carbons

all fit the bill perfectly because they are holding onto different stuff on all sides.

That gives us three chiral centers. Now, here is the math hack.

The formula is just two to the power of n minus one. Plug in three, and you get two

squared. That equals four optical isomers. Boom, you just solved