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Polarimetry measures optical rotation with a polarimeter. A concrete modern experiment uses the vertical Vernier Go Direct instrument: a $589\mathrm{nm}$ light source, fixed polarizer, sample cell, motor-driven analyzer, photodetector and optical rotary encoder. Its readout is transmitted illumination versus analyzer angle. Calibrate with the same solvent filled to $10\mathrm{cm}$, then rinse with sample and fill to $10.0\mathrm{cm}$, reading the bottom of the meniscus to $0.1\mathrm{cm}$. The shifted maximum nearest zero gives $\alpha$; a fit with the square of a cosine uses the whole trace.^[ref]

In an ideal optical model, Malus's law gives $I(\theta )=I_{\max }{\cos }^2(\theta -\alpha )$ after solvent zeroing. Maxima repeat every $180^{\circ }$, so tracking the same peak matters. As an illustrative calculation, not a reported measurement, a peak shift from $0^{\circ }$ to $+5^{\circ }$ at $l=1.00\mathrm{dm}$ and $c=0.100\mathrm{g}\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{L}}^{-1}$ gives $[\alpha ]=+50\mathrm{deg}\mathrm{d}{\mathrm{m}}^{-1}\mathrm{mL}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}$. This calculation says nothing about R and S configuration.

The solvent blank controls the baseline. A reference sample and a repeat blank can check scale and drift; record temperature, concentration and fill height. Use a transparent homogeneous chemical solution, and remove bubbles and particles. The manual distinguishes $\pm 0.1^{\circ }$ fit reproducibility from its $\pm 1^{\circ }$ accuracy specification, and warns that a failed fit can give an unreasonable angle. A precise-looking fit therefore need not be accurate.^[ref] Neither a zero reading nor a matching specific rotation uniquely identifies a molecule; polarimetry must be interpreted with the sample composition and these controls.

For a dilute chemical solution in the usual linear regime,where $l$ is path length in $\mathrm{dm}$ and $c$ is mass concentration in $\mathrm{g}\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{L}}^{-1}$. These conventions give specific rotation units $\mathrm{deg}\mathrm{d}{\mathrm{m}}^{-1}\mathrm{mL}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}$. Specify solvent as well as temperature $T$ and wavelength $\lambda$. Specific rotation is conditional on these settings, not a universal number independent of the sample environment.^[ref]

For an ideal additive mixture of just two enantiomers, write $k$ for the specific rotation of the positive member under the chosen conditions and $c_{+},c_{-}$ for their mass concentrations. Then $\alpha =kl(c_{+}-c_{-})$, while total mass concentration is $c_{+}+c_{-}$. Equal populations give zero without either member losing its chirality. A small signal can also mean low concentration or weak optical rotation at the selected wavelength; other sample components can cancel or alter the signal. Inferring composition from $\alpha$ requires a validated mixture model and a reference measured under matching conditions.