Question

Define optical activity. How many optical isomers are possible for glucose?

Answer 1

Optical Activity:
Optical Activity is the ability of a chiral molecules to rotate plane polarised light, measured using a polarimeter. Chiral molecules rotates plane polarised light into clockwise & anticlockwise direction.
The maximum number of optical isomers calculated by using formules.
$2^n$ where $n=$ number of chiral centres.

In Glucose, four chiral centers is there
Hence $n=4$
$\therefore$ number of optical isomers$=2^n$
$=2^4$
$=16$
$\therefore 16$ possible isomers