cis 1,2 cyclopentanediol

[atlanta213]

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Actually it is question from topscore 1.

I drew up this but i don't see why this is meso compound.

when I cut in half btw 2 OH, it is not symmetry.

How come it is meso?

 

[Mista E]

I think you might be confusing symmetry of the 2 halves with thinking they have to both be identical.

When the compound is cut down the middle, the two halves are the mirror images of each other.

For example:

Lets say you look at a persons body which is symmetrical. Imagine drawing a line down the middle. The two sides aren't exactly the same, but there's symmetry b/c each side is an exact reflection of the other.

 

[doc3232]

You must be thinking trans instead of cis. 🙂
trans is oppsosite sides. cis is same sides.

 

[Contach]

Actually it is question from topscore 1.

I drew up this but i don't see why this is meso compound.

when I cut in half btw 2 OH, it is not symmetry.

How come it is meso?

judge the symmetry of the object when it is intact! if it has a chiral carbon and a plane of symmetry it is a meso compound....

it has a plane of symmetry (as you said) between the 2 OH's and straight down.
if one of the OH's was a Cl, then it would not be a meso compound, but instead it's mirror image would be an enantiomer of the original. There would be no plane of symmetry in this 2-chlorocyclopentanol.