chemical rotation

Chemical rotation refers to how certain molecules can rotate plane-polarized light due to their chiral (asymmetric) structures. When polarized light passes through a solution of these molecules, their specific three-dimensional arrangement causes the light to twist either clockwise (dextrorotatory) or counterclockwise (levorotatory). This rotation is measurable and characteristic of each chiral compound, providing useful information in chemistry and medicine, such as identifying substances or determining purity. Essentially, chemical rotation reveals how the unique spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule influences the behavior of light passing through it.