Student Manual | ![]() This highly interdisciplinary experiment will expose the students to the wave nature of light and the concept of polarization. The experimenters will use a tabletop laser as a light source and will use polarizers to control the generation and transmission of polarized light. Furthermore, students will determine the optical activity of a chiral molecule. The experiment will also engage the students in an exercise whereby they will be asked to describe what is meant by “optimum” measurements. |
Software Code | Optics |
Sample Results | Verification of Malus’s Principle |
Hardware Manual | Laser specificationsCommonly used circuits with photodiodes and phototransistorsSi Photodetector : 400-1100 nm, low power(818 Series / Newport photodecteor specifications) |
Experiment Code | 1.5 |
Version | 16 November 2011 |
Further Readings and References
- Synthesis and physical properties of liquid crystals: an interdisciplinary experimentJournal of Chemical Education, G.R. Van Hecke et al., 82, 1349, (2005).
- Chirality Made Simple: A 1 and 2-D introduction to Stereo ChemistryJournal of Chemical Education, R.A. Gawley, 82, 1009, (2005).
- Using guided inquiry to study optical activity and optical rotary dispersion in a cross disciplinary chemistry labJournal of Chemical Education, M.A. Vaksman and J.W Lane, 78, 1507, (2001).
Pictorial Procedure
![1. Provided apparatus](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_1n-409x258.jpg)
1. Provided apparatus
![2. Mounting a polarizer](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_2n-409x258.jpg)
2. Mounting a polarizer
![3. Rotating the optical axis clockwise](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_3n-409x258.jpg)
3. Rotating the optical axis clockwise
![4. Adjusting height and orientation of a polarizer](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_4n-409x258.jpg)
4. Adjusting height and orientation of a polarizer
![5. Opening the laserhead shutter](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_5n-409x258.jpg)
5. Opening the laserhead shutter
![6. Input mode at GROUND](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_6n-409x258.jpg)
6. Input mode at GROUND
![7. Input mode at DC](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_7n-409x258.jpg)
7. Input mode at DC
![8. Polarizer A near the laser output](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_8n-409x258.jpg)
8. Polarizer A near the laser output
![9. Polarizer B infront of the detector](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_9n-409x258.jpg)
9. Polarizer B infront of the detector
![10. Mounting a sucrose cell](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_10-409x258.jpg)
10. Mounting a sucrose cell
![11. Setup for optical activity masurement](https://physlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Optics_11n-409x258.jpg)
11. Setup for optical activity masurement