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saurya_mishra
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Can anyone tell me the reason why an enatiomer rotates the plane of polarised light? Or at least tell me where i can read more on the reason why some compounds exibit optical activity.
Thanx
Saurya
Thanx
Saurya
Optical activity is the ability of a chemical compound to rotate the plane of polarized light. This phenomenon is due to the compound's molecular structure, specifically the presence of chiral centers or asymmetry.
Optical isomers, also known as enantiomers, are molecules that have the same chemical formula and bonding structure, but differ in their spatial arrangement of atoms. This results in the molecules being non-superimposable mirror images of each other and exhibiting different optical activity.
The reason for optical activity in optical isomers is their chiral nature. This means that they lack a plane of symmetry and therefore, the two enantiomers cannot be superimposed on each other. As a result, they interact differently with polarized light, leading to their distinct optical activity.
The molecular structure directly affects optical activity. As mentioned before, the presence of chiral centers or asymmetry in a molecule is what causes it to be optically active. Changes in the molecular structure, such as the introduction of a chiral center, can also lead to a change in the compound's optical activity.
The study of optical activity and optical isomers has various applications in fields such as pharmaceuticals, food industry, and materials science. For example, different enantiomers of a drug can have different effects on the body, making it important to identify and separate them in pharmaceutical products. Optical activity is also used in the production and quality control of food products such as sugar and amino acids.