🥼organic chemistry review

Optically active

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025

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.

AP course connection

Topic 5.3: 5.3 Optical Activity

Unit 5

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