optical rotation

Optical rotation is the property of certain substances called chiral compounds to rotate the plane of polarized light as it passes through them. When polarized light enters such a substance, the molecules cause the light waves to twist slightly to the right (dextrorotatory) or to the left (levorotatory). The degree of this twisting helps identify the substance and its concentration. This phenomenon is used in chemistry and medicine to analyze the composition of solutions, determine purity, and distinguish between different isomers, which are molecules with the same formula but different arrangements.