How to calculate specific rotation of a compound?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking how to calculate the specific rotation of a compound, which involves understanding the concept of optical activity and knowing the formula used for this calculation.
Answer
[α] = α / (c × l)
The specific rotation ([α]) can be calculated using the formula: [α] = α / (c × l), where α is the observed rotation in degrees, c is the concentration of the solution in g/mL, and l is the path length through which light passes in decimeters (dm).
Answer for screen readers
The specific rotation ([α]) can be calculated using the formula: [α] = α / (c × l), where α is the observed rotation in degrees, c is the concentration of the solution in g/mL, and l is the path length through which light passes in decimeters (dm).
More Information
The specific rotation is a standardized measure of a compound’s ability to rotate plane-polarized light, used to identify chiral substances.
Tips
Common mistakes include incorrect units for concentration or path length. Ensure the concentration is in g/mL and the path length in dm and double-check calculations.
Sources
- Optical Rotation, Optical Activity, And Specific Rotation - Master Organic Chemistry - masterorganicchemistry.com
- Specific Rotation - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
- 5.4: Optical Activity - Chemistry LibreTexts - chem.libretexts.org
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