What is the Difference Between Dextrorotatory and Levorotatory?

The terms dextrorotatory and levorotatory are used to describe the rotation of plane-polarized light when it interacts with optically active compounds. The key difference between the two lies in the direction of rotation:

• Dextrorotatory: Refers to the rotation of plane-polarized light to the right (clockwise).
• Levorotatory: Refers to the rotation of plane-polarized light to the left (counterclockwise).

Optically active compounds, such as chiral molecules, can cause the rotation of plane-polarized light when they interact with it. The direction of the rotation (dextrorotatory or levorotatory) is determined by the specific chiral center in the molecule and the conditions under which the interaction occurs, such as temperature, wavelength of light used, solvent, and concentration of the chiral sample.

To summarize:

• Dextrorotary compounds rotate the plane of polarized light clockwise (to the right).
• Levorotary compounds rotate the plane of polarized light counterclockwise (to the left).

Both dextrorotatory and levorotatory compounds exhibit optical activity, but their specific rotations may differ depending on the chiral center and other factors.

Comparative Table: Dextrorotatory vs Levorotatory

The difference between dextrorotatory and levorotatory can be summarized in the following table:

Dextrorotatory compounds rotate the plane of polarized light to the right (clockwise), while levorotatory compounds rotate the plane of polarized light to the left (counterclockwise). These terms are useful when describing the rotation of plane-polarized light and are types of optical rotations.