Optical isomerism

1. Certain substances have a remarkable power of rotation. the plane-polarized light either towards left or right, the phenomenon of rotating the plane-polarized light is known as optical activity compounds exhibiting this property are known as optically active compounds.

2. Compounds which have similar chemical and physical properties and different only in their optical activity are known as optical isomers, this phenomenon is called optical isomerism.

Plane polarized light:-

According to the physical theory on ordinary light vibrates in all planes at right angles to the plane of the propagation when the light is passed through a Nicole prism it vibrates only in one direction such type of light whose vibration occurs only in a single plane is known as plane-polarized light and the phenomenon is called polarization.

When plane-polarized light passed through certain substances or solutions its plane of polarization is rotated either towards the right direction or towards the left direction by a certain angle such substances which rotates the plane-polarized light as known as optically active and the phenomenon is referred to as optical activity, those substances which rotate the plane-polarized light to the right side is called dextrorotatory compounds indicated by the "d" or (+), those substances which rotate the plane-polarized light towards the left side is called levorotatory compound indicated by "l" or (-)

Optically inactive compounds do not rotate the plane-polarized light in any direction

(-) indicates plane-polarized light towards the left side.

(+) indicates plane-polarized light towards the right side.

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