For any diastereomer with n chiral centers, how many possible stereoisomers exist?

For a molecule with n chiral centers, the total number of possible stereoisomers is determined by the concept of stereoisomerism. Each chiral center can exist in two different configurations: either as R (rectus) or S (sinister). Consequently, for each of the n chiral centers, you can choose one of these two configurations independently.

Therefore, the formula to calculate the total number of stereoisomers is based on binary choices across n chiral centers, which can be expressed mathematically as 2 raised to the power of n, or 2^n. This means that for every chiral center added, the number of possible stereoisomers doubles, leading to an exponential growth in the total number of unique stereoisomers.

For example, if there are 3 chiral centers (n=3), the number of possible stereoisomers would be 2^3 = 8. If there were 4 chiral centers, it would be 2^4 = 16, and so on.

Thus, the correct answer is indeed associated with the total number of possible stereoisomers stemming from the configurations at the chiral centers, aligning perfectly with the calculation of 2^n.