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Diastereomers are stereoisomers that are not mirror images of each other and have different physical and chemical properties, including their optical activity. The correct statement about diastereomers is that they can rotate plane-polarized light, but they do so in different amounts and potentially in different directions.
This variation in optical activity occurs because diastereomers have different spatial arrangements of their atoms, which influences how they interact with plane-polarized light. Each diastereomer reacts differently due to its unique three-dimensional structure, leading to different degrees and directions of rotation. As a result, one diastereomer might rotate light to the left (levorotatory), while another could rotate it to the right (dextrorotatory), or they might both rotate light but to different extents.
Optical activity is a fundamental characteristic of chiral compounds, and because diastereomers are inherently different molecules, they do not behave in a predictable manner regarding light rotation. Thus, their relationship to light rotation is complex and not uniform.
Understanding this aspect of diastereomers is crucial in organic chemistry and biochemistry, where the specific orientation of molecules can greatly influence the function and reactivity in biological systems.