Turbidity determination of the critical exponent η in the liquid-liquid mixture methanol and cyclohexane

The turbidity of the liquid-liquid mixture methanol-cyclohexane has been measured very near its critical point and used to test competing theoretical predictions and to determine the critical correlation-correction exponent eta. By measuring the ratio of the transmitted to incident light intensities over five decades in reduced temperature, we are able to determine that Ferrell's theoretical prediction for the turbidity explains the data with the correlation length amplitude xi(0)=0.330+/-0.003 nm and critical exponents eta=0.041+/-0.005 and nu=0.632+/-0.002. These values are consistent with the values measured before for xi(0) in this system and with the exponents predicted by theory. The data allow five different theoretical expressions to be tested and to select two as being equivalent when very close to the critical point. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.