Interactions of polarized light with chiral molecules form the basis of several physical methods used for study of structure and properties of chiral chemical compounds. One of the most important methods is optical rotary dispersion (ORD), but explaining optical rotation at the undergraduate level can be a difficult task. To make it easier this article suggests the use of a mechanical model. We propose the use of Mathematica software with its powerful graphics and plotting capabilities to illustrate the ORD phenomenon.
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