If 6 grams of pure (+)-2-butanol is physically mixed with 2 grams of pure (-)-2-butanol, what is the — Isomerism and Stereochemistry Chemistry Question
Question
If 6 grams of pure (+)-2-butanol is physically mixed with 2 grams of pure (-)-2-butanol, what is the calculated optical purity (enantiomeric excess) of the resulting mixture in percentage?
Answer: 50
💡 Solution & Explanation
Total mass of the mixture is $6 + 2 = 8 \text{ g}$. The enantiomeric excess (ee) or optical purity is the difference in mass of the enantiomers divided by the total mass: $ee = \frac{6 - 2}{6 + 2} \times 100 = \frac{4}{8} \times 100 = 50\%$.
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