CONSTRUCTION OF A LOW-COST POLARIMETER FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

Abstract

This paper describes the construction of a polarimeter for the identification of chemical substances. The device was built with low-cost materials, measures the phenomenon of optical activity and has educational applicability. The measurement of optical activity is achieved through the measurement of the resulting polarized radiation in a photodiode connected to a voltmeter after passing through polarizing and analyzing filters.

Keywords

• chemical substance
• optical activity
• polarimeter