Optically active

Definition

An optically active substance is capable of rotating the plane of polarized light as it passes through. This property is due to the presence of chiral molecules that have non-superimposable mirror images.

Related terms

Chirality:

The characteristic of a molecule that has non-superimposable mirror images, making it similar to having left-handed and right-handed versions.

Polarized light: Light waves that oscillate in parallel planes along a particular direction, used in studying optical activity by observing how substances can rotate this light.

Enantiomers:

Pairs of molecules that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed, often responsible for the optical activity in compounds