Consider the following ball-and-stick model. Atoms other than carbon and hydrogen are indicated by the chemical symbol of the element. If the specific rotation of this substance is +2.6°, what will be the specific rotation of the following substance?
A) +2.6°
B) -2.6°
C) 0°
D) +5.2°
E) Cannot be determined from the given data.

Question

Consider the following ball-and-stick model. Atoms other than carbon and hydrogen are indicated by the chemical symbol of the element.  If the specific rotation of this substance is +2.6°, what will be the specific rotation of the following substance? 
A) +2.6° 
B) -2.6° 
C) 0° 
D) +5.2° 
E) Cannot be determined from the given data.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The specific rotation is dependent on the type of molecule and its configuration, not the actual orientation in space. Since the two molecules are enantiomers (mirror images of each other), they will have equal and opposite specific rotations. Therefore, the specific rotation of the second substance will be -2.6°.

Consider the Following Ball-And-Stick Model