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Physics Experiment for Rotating the Plane of Polarisation (also known as Biot’s sugar experiment)

Biot’s optical rotation experiment demonstrates the effect of chiral media (sugar solution) on the plane of polarisation of linearly polarised light. This experiment allows for investigation into the effects of polarisation, chirality, scattering, and fluorescence.

Chirality is the name given to the property of molecules and systems whose image cannot be superimposed upon its mirror image. When linearly polarised light is passed through a chiral medium, such as a sugar solution, the plane of polarisation of the incident light is rotated due to its asymmetric structure, creating bright and dark bands that can be observed along the optical path.

Experiment Aim

To investigate the effects of scattering, chirality, polarisation and fluorescence by observing the effects on laser light as it passes through a sugar solution. To determine the angle of the optical rotation and how this varies with wavelength. To determine the concentration of sugar solution in an unknown substance.

Tasks

1.Set up the plane of polarisation experiment, using a glass tube of sugar solution to produce fluorescent bands of colour.

2.Calculate the specific angle of rotation of light through sugar solution by measuring the distance between consecutive maxima of the rotating light using a ruler

3.Use the Drude expression to provide a mathematical fit and to enable the comparison to literature values.

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