Organic Chemistry- Rotating Rainbows

Bromination of Saturated and Unsaturated Hydrocarbons Blue Bottle Dehydration of Sugar by Sulfuric Acid Disappearing Coffee Cup Formation of a Silver Mirror Models 360 Nylon 6 – 10 Organic Synthesis With Familiar Materials Oxidation of Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Alcohols Oxidation of Luminol Polyurethane Foam Slime Underwater Fireworks: Chlorination of Acetylene Carbide Lamp Differences in the Miscibility of Organic Alcohols With Increasing Chain Length Combustion of Cellulose Nitrate (Guncotton) Different Smells of Carvone Isomers Distinguishing Between HD and LD Polyethylene Enviro-bond: Cleaning Oil Spills Esterification Using a Dean-Stark Trap Ethanol Cannon Happy/Sad Balls IR Demonstration I – Atomic Coupling IR Demonstration II – Molecular Vibrations IR Demonstrations III – Molecular Vibrations Making a Rubber Ball from Latex Plastic Samples Reaction Intermediates in Organic Chemistry Reducing Sugars and Fehling’s Solution Rod Climbing by a Polymer Solution Rotating Rainbows Silly Putty Soap Emulsifies Hydrocarbons Superabsorbent Polyacrylate Gel Tubeless Siphon Alkimers Aniline Hydrochloride-Formaldehyde Polymer Phenol-Formaldehyde Polymer Saponification Relative Reactivity of Reducing Agents Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction/EAS Reaction Reactivity of Alkanes vs. Aromatic Compounds Inductive Effect Optical Activity of Racemic Mixtures With Limonene Relationship of Absorbed Light to Observed Color Density and Miscibility of Liquids Extraction of Copper Ions from Solution with Orform® Gel Formation with Sodium Alginate and Calcium Chloride Ozonolysis Hydrolysis of T-Butyl Chloride: A Lecture and Lab Experiment Terephthalate Monomerization

Rotating Rainbows

  Description: Karo syrup and water are placed on the overhead projector between crossed polarizers. As the upper polarizer is rotated over the Karo syrup and the lower polarizer,  the relative angle between the plane polarizer orientation changes, thereby allowing specific wavelength ranges of color to pass through the polarizers from the white light emitted by the overhead projector lamp. This effect is seen when the liquid placed in the beaker between the polarizers has a structure which rotates polarized light. This kind of molecule is called optically active. Water is not an optically active molecule so changing the relative angle between the polarizer planes does not affect the properties of the light that passes through it. Source: Journal of Chemical Education Year: 1999 Vol: 76  Page: 1233 – 1236 Keywords: Isomers, Stereoisomers Rating: Hazard: Low

• Electric shock hazard
• Breakage hazard

Effectiveness: Good

• Results are clearly observable without guidance
• Good connection from demo to course material
• Low failure rate
• Time to results is low
• Good effects are seen by audience

Difficulty: Low

• Simple procedures
• Simple manipulations for most to perform
• Use of glass surfaces, handle with care

Safety Precautions:

• Eye protection required
• Use of  UL approved three-prong plug and outlet required

 

Class: Organic Chemistry, Molecular Structure Division: General, Organic Chemistry