Size exclusion chromatography with dual detection, i.e., employing a refractive index, concentration sensitive, detector together with a multiangle light scattering detector which is sensitive to molecular size, has been applied to study the solution properties of guar gum in water with different concentrations of K2SO4 at 25 degreesC. The analysis of a single highly polydisperse sample is enough for obtaining calibration curves for molecular weight and radius of gyration and the scaling law coefficients. The influence of the ionic strength on the conformational properties of the polymer can also be analyzed. Moreover, unperturbed dimensions can be obtained by extrapolation of the values measured in a good solvent. The value of the characteristic ratio of the unperturbed dimensions thus obtained is C-n=(0)/nl(2)approximate to19+/-1. A theoretical analysis is also included. Thus, molecular dynamics procedures were employed to analyze the conformational properties of an oligomer of guar gum under different conditions; namely, standing alone in vacuo, in bulk solid state and in water solution, both with and without salt. These conformational properties were then employed to compute molecular dimensions of Monte Carlo generated chains with different lengths according to standard procedures of the matrix multiplication scheme, thus allowing the evaluation of both perturbed and unperturbed dimensions which are in very good agreement with the experimental values. Moreover our result permits the explanation of the discrepancies among experimental and theoretical values reported in the literature. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.