Experiment no.

: 04
Name of the Experiment: To determine the specific rotation of sugar solution and hence to
determine the unknown concentration of a given sugar solution by means of a Polarimeter.

Key words: Polarization of light, Polarization by double refraction, Optical activity, Specific
rotation, Production of sodium light, Construction & action of Nicol Prism, Laurent's half shade
Polarimeter, etc.
Theory: Let a plane polarized monochromatic light of wavelength λ pass through a column of
solution of length l cm and containing m grams of an active substance per cm 3 at a given
temperature. Then the plane of polarization of the light is rotated through an angle θ given by

θ= … …. … …. (i)
where s is the specific rotation of the solution. The quantity s is defined as the rotation produced
by a column of solution of length l decimeter and containing 1gm of the active substance per
cm3 of the solution under the experimental condition.
If 100 cm3 of the solution contains c gm of the active substance, the strength of the solution is c
% and m=c/100. Hence from equation (i),
θ=

or … … … … (ii)
This equation shows that for a given length l , the plot of θ versus c will be a straight line and is
called the calibration curve of the polarimeter for the active solution. This plot may be used to
find the concentration c of an unknown solution of the same solute by measuring the rotation θ
produced by it. From a set of values of c and θ, and by measuring the length of the tube
containing the solution, the specific rotation of the solution can be determined from equation (ii).

Apparatus:
i. A polarimeter
ii. Sodium lamp
iii. Sugar
iv. Balance
v. Graduated cylinder
vi. Beaker
vii. Watch glass.

1
 Fig.-01

Fig.-01 shows the basic components of a polarimeter. Here S- Source of sodium light,
L-Collimating lens, N1- Polarizing nicol, QG-Half shade plate, T1- Tube containing solution, N2-
Analyzing nicol, SC- Circular scale
Procedure:
1. Carefully weight out 20 gm of sugar in a watch glass; dissolve it in about 50 or 60 cc of
distilled water. Make up the solution up to 100 cc so that you have a 20 per cent solution. During
dissolving do not apply any heat; just pour the solution from one vessel to another so that the
solution has a uniform concentration.
2. Carefully measure the length of the tube. Clean the tube as well as the glass plates used to
close its ends. Filter some distilled water so that it becomes free from dust and fill the tube with
it. Take care so that no air bubble is introduced. Close the tube.
3. Illuminate the slit of the polarimeter by sodium light then place the tube filled with distilled
water in its position. Now rotate the analyzer nicol and the verniers, till the two halves of the
half-shade plate become equally bright. Take the readings of two verniers for three independent
settings.
4. Remove water from the tube and wash it several times by a small amount of stock solution of
concentration c%. Then fill the tube completely with the solution, place in its position and rotate
the analyzer nicol till both the two halves of the half-shade plate become equally bright. Take the
readings of the two verniers for three independent settings.
5. Repeat operation (4) for solutions of minimum four other known concentrations and also for
the unknown concentration as well.

6. Plot a graph taking different values of concentration of the solutions used along x-axis and the
corresponding angles of rotation along y-axis. This should be a straight line passing through
origin (Fig.02). From this calibration curve determine the value of specific rotation, s, of sugar
solution.
Also find the unknown concentration corresponding to the angle of rotation from this curve.

2
 Angle of rotation in degree

Concentration in terms of mass per 100 c.c.

Fig.-02

Experimental Data:
Weight of empty watch glass, m1 =…..gm
Weight of empty watch glass + sugar, m2=……..gm.
Weight of sugar= (m2-m1) =…..gm
Length of the tube=…….cm.
Wave length of light, λ=…………..

Table-1: Readings of the verniers when the tube contains distilled water

3
 Readings of the left vernier Readings of the right vernier
No. of Main Vernier Vernier
Mean Main Scale Mean
observation Scale Scale Total Scale Total
T0 (M) T0*
(M) (V) (V)

Table-2: Angle of rotation ( ) versus concentration (c) data

Wavelength of the light used=……..Å, Vernier constant= 0.05°

Concentratio Reading of the left vernier Reading of the right vernie

n
Of Main Vernie Angle of Main Vernie
Total Mean Total Mean
Solution (%) scale r scale rotation, scale r scale
(M+V) T1 (M+V)
(M) (V) (M) (V)

20%

15%

10%

5%

Unknown

4
Calculation:
Length of the tube =….cm

For sugar solution, specific rotation, s …….

Concentration = mass/cc =……

Results:
The specific rotation of sugar solution is = ................

The unknown concentration of sugar solution is = ...................

Discussion: