= Saccharimeter
A <saccharimeter> is a <polarimeter> calibrated for measuring sugar <concentration> through <optical rotation>. A sample rotates the plane of <polarization>, and the instrument determines the angular change under specified optical conditions.
For a single optically active solute in the appropriate dilute regime,
$$
\alpha=[\alpha]_{\lambda,T}\,\ell c,
$$
where $\ell$ is the optical path length and $c$ the <concentration> in units consistent with the stated <specific rotation>. Calibration, <wavelength> and <temperature> matter. Other optically active solutes, changing sugar composition or mutarotation can change the rotation, so a sugar-mixture measurement need not directly equal one compound's <concentration>.
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