A polarimeter is a device that measures the rotation of polarised light as it passes through an optically active fluid. The degree of rotation can be used to calculate the concentrations of solutions You could use polarimetry to investigate the kinetics of a reaction in which the reactants/ products are optically active, for example, the catalysed decomposition of sucrose into glucose and fructose. You could investigate how the rate changes with concentration of the products or catalyst, or with temperature Some anomers exist in an equilibrium between two forms which interconvert, for example glucose and lactose. You could investigate how temperature affects the equilibrium constant between the two forms using polarimetry, as the shift in equilibrium will cause a change in the optical rotation called mutarotation. Write a paper exploring the kinetics of glucose mutarotation – use the below template to structure the essay as well as a sample essay to show an example.
