Optical activity
Optical activity
Formula
[α] = α / (c × l)
Real World
Sugar solutions rotate plane-polarised light, which is why polarimeters are used in the Tate & Lyle refining process to measure sucrose concentration in real time.
Exam Focus
Define specific rotation with units (° dm⁻¹ g⁻¹ cm³); remember c is in g per 100 mL and l in dm.
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