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Chemistry LibreTexts

Observed Rotation

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Observed rotation (symbol: α) of a sample of a compound is the angle by which it rotates the plane of polarized light, measured using the polarimeter. Observed rotation of a sample of a compound depends on the

  1. concentration, if a solution is used for the for the experiment, or density if the sample is neat
  2. solvent, if a solution is used for the experiment
  3. length of the sample tube
  4. temperature
  5. wave length of the light.

see also specific rotation


This page titled Observed Rotation is shared under a All Rights Reserved (used with permission) license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Gamini Gunawardena via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

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