EXPERIMENT NO.

7
POLARIMETRY
PRELAB EXERCISES

NAME: GRAGEDA, JETHRO GEOFFREY D. DATE:

PROFESSOR: ENGR. ROLLY UMANDAL SCORE: _____________
SCHEDULE: FRIDAY 2:00-5:00 PM

1. Define the following:

a. Optical Isomerism
these are substances that exhibits a same molecular formula and structural
formula with one formula restricting superimposition to the other. In latter perspective,
they are mirror images of each other where the two compounds contains the same number
and kinds of atoms, and bonds.
b. Chiral substance
Commonly applied to molecular systems whose asymmetry results in handedness
or the nonsuperimposable mirror-image shapes. Therefore, making this an
enantioenriched or heterochiral, especially when its enantiomeric ratio is greater than
50:50 but less than 100:0. Enantiomeric excess is the difference between how much of
one enantiomer is present compared to the other.
c. Racemic mixtures
First known racemic mixture was racemic acid, which Louis Pasteur found to be a
mixture of the two enantiomeric isomers of tartaric acid. This is defined as a mixture of
equal amounts of the two enantiomer forms of a given chiral molecule. One this has an
equal amount of left- and right-handed enantiomers of a chiral molecule. \
2. Differentiate and give examples of compounds that are dextrorotatory and levorotatory.
Typically used in the realm of chemistry and physics, these two terms Dextrorotatory and
levorotatory are used to describe the rotation of a plane-polarized light. From a first-person
perspective or point of view of the observer, dextrorotation refers to clockwise or right-handed
rotation, and levorotation refers to counterclockwise or left-handed rotation.

3. Discuss the operation of polarimeter.

The plane of polarization can be determined by an instrument called a polarimeter which
is tasked to determine the passing monochromatic light through the first of two polarizing plates,
creating a polarized beam. This first plate is known as the polarizer. This beam is then rotated as
it passes through the sample. After passing through the sample, a second polarizer, known as the
analyzer, rotates either via manual rotation or automatic detection of the angle. When the
analyzer is rotated such that all the light or no light can pass through, then one can find the angle
of rotation which is equal to the angle by which the analyzer was rotated in the former case or in
the latter case.