Two solutes were used to study diffusion in liquids, methylbenzene, which is a small molecule that can be approximated as a sphere, and a liquid crystal that is long and rodlike. The two solutes were found to move and rotate in all directions to the same extent in benzene. In a liquid-crystal solvent the methylbenzene again moved and rotated to the same extent in all directions, but the liquid-crystal solute moved much more rapidly along the long axis of the molecule than it did in a “sideways” mode, perpendicular to the long axis. It also was found to rotate more rapidly around the long axis than perpendicular to it.

Explain this behavior.