What is the maximum number of hydrogen atoms that could be bonded to an asymmetric carbon?

1 Answer
Apr 16, 2016

One.

Explanation:

An asymmetric carbon is one that is bonded to four different atoms or groups of atoms, such as bromochlorofluoromethane, where a carbon is bonded to one hydrogen, one bromine, one chlorine and one fluorine atom.

This means that the maximum number of hydrogen on any asymmetric carbon must be one, otherwise it is not an asymmetric carbon, because it would have two of the same atoms on it.