[usaidtalks]

Can someone explain to me this question like im a 5 year old? Ive been trying to understand it forever. I know it has something to do with a chiral center, but carbon 2 looks more like a chiral center then carbon 5??! Someone please help me?? (By the way from the question: (+)-Carvone and (–)-carvone are two enantiomers.)

[Babcock_Hall]

It might help to draw out all of the hydrogen atoms.  How many atoms are connected to carbon-2?  How many atoms are connected to carbon-5?  In order to be a center of chirality, what must be true of an atom?

[usaidtalks]

Carbon 2 has CH3, a CH2, a CH2O, and hydrogen

Carbon 5 has a C, 2 CH2's, and a hydrogen

A chiral carbon is one that has 4 DIFFERENT groups attached to it

[Babcock_Hall]

If carbon-2 had a hydrogen, would that violate the Lewis octet rule?  I would think about the double bond.

Regarding the groups on carbon-5, once you get past the CH₂, are the next groups of atoms the same or different?

[usaidtalks]

Ohh that makes sense! So basically, c2 can't be a chiral carbon because it has a double bond to another carbon; it doesnt have a hydrogen because it only holds 4 total groups (and a double bond counts as 2).

for C5, past the CH2s, one of them is a carbonyl group (C=O) and the other CH2 leads to the double bonded carbon, making C5 a chiral carbon.

Is my understanding correct?

[Babcock_Hall]

Yes.