Question

An optically active compound:

• A. Rotates the plane polarised light
• B. Changes the direction of polarised light.
• C. Do not allow plane polarised light to pass through
• D. None of these

Answer 1

The correct option is A Rotates the plane polarised light

Plane polarised light is a light in which the vibrations are aligned in a single plane. When these lights are passed through certain compounds they rotate the plane of Plane Polarised Light at different angles. Some compounds will rotate the plane of Plane Polarised Light in the clockwise direction and some in the anti-clockwise direction. This phenomenon is called optical activity. Compounds showing this property are called optically active compounds.