Detecting Gold Nanoparticles through Polarized Light: An Experiment Explanation

[lo2]

We a did an experiment with Colloidal gold, in which we created gold Nano particles. Our teacher told us that we could detect that we had created nanoparticles by shining polarized light on it. We shined light on it from a 90 degrees angle and then we could not see the light on the other side of the glas as if something inside had stopped the light. Could you please exlpain to me why that proves we have created nanoparticles?

 

[Gokul43201]

We a did an experiment with Colloidal gold, in which we created gold Nano particles. Our teacher told us that we could detect that we had created nanoparticles by shining polarized light on it. We shined light on it from a 90 degrees angle

90 degrees to what? Please describe or draw the setup so it's clear what angles and direction we are talking about.

... and then we could not see the light on the other side of the glas as if something inside had stopped the light. Could you please exlpain to me why that proves we have created nanoparticles?

It's hard to tell exactly what is being observed. If you're just looking for a beam of light inside the colloid (the direction of the beam perpendicular to your line of sight) and don't see it because the colloidal particles are nanosized, then you want to look up the Tyndall effect.