Absolute Intensity of Light Scattering from Pure Liquids and Solutions

Abstract

The absolute scattering powers of several strongly scattering solutions of polystyrene were measured by three independent methods, using transmission, integrated scattering, and scattering at right angles respectively. When a number of factors involving the geometry of the measuring system and the refraction of the light at interfaces are taken into account all the methods give results in excellent agreement. The absolute scattering power of benzene and carbon tetrachloride were then determined by comparison with the polystyrene solutions and were found to be in good agreement with Einstein's theoretical equation, though at variance with most of the previously reported experiments. The scattering from solutions of dibenzyl and sucrose octaactetate were also measured and found to give results in good agreement with those calculated theoretically from the molecular weights of these substances. In the course of the measurements it was also necessary to study the reflection properties of MgCO₃ and MgO surfaces in more detail than has been published heretofore.