Plane-Polarized Light and the Origin of Optical Rotation

19-1 PLANE-POLARIZED LIGHT AND THE ORIGIN OF OPTICAL ROTATION 

Electromagnetic radiation, as the name implies, involves the propagation of both electric and magnetic forces. At each point in an ordinary light beam, there is a component electric field and a component magnetic field, which are 

A clockwise rotation, as the observer looks towards the beam, defines the substance as dextrorotatory (i.e., rotates to the right) and the angle a is taken as a positive (+) rotation. If the rotation is counterclockwise the substance is described as levorotatory (i.e., rotates to the left) and the angle a is taken as a negative (—) rotation. 

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Plane-Polarized Light and the Origin of Optical Rotation... 

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