Problem 6.10. A water molecule can vibrate in various ways, but the easiest type of vibration to excite is the "flexing" mode in which the hydrogen atoms move toward and away from each other but the HO bonds do not stretch. The oscillations of this mode are approximately harmonic, with a frequency of 4.8 x 10¹3 Hz. As for any quantum harmonic oscillator, the energy levels are hf, hf, hf, and so on. None of these levels are degenerate. (a) Calculate the probability of a water molecule being in its flexing ground state and in each of the first two excited states, assuming that it is in equi- librium with a reservoir (say the atmosphere) at 300 K. (Hint: Calculate Z by adding up the first few Boltzmann factors, until the rest are negligible.) (b) Repeat the calculation for a water molecule in equilibrium with a reservoir at 700 K (perhaps in a steam turbine).
Electronic Transitions and Spectroscopy
The term “electronic” connotes electron, and the term “transition” implies transformation. In a molecule, the electrons move from a lower to a higher energy state due to excitation. The two energy states, the ground state and the excited state are the lowest and the highest energy states, respectively. An energy change is observed with this transition, which depicts the various data related to the molecule.
Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) is a part of experimental chemistry. It is a technique used in laboratories that involves projecting intense beams of radiation on a sample element. In response, the element ejects electrons for which the relative energies are measured.
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