CHEM 151 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Uncertainty Principle, Infrared Spectroscopy, Covalent Bond
28 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Electrons do not behave as classical particles. We cannot know their position and velocity simultaneously: heisenberg uncertainty principle. Sharing of electrons in a covalent bond, potential energy decreases. The atomic nuclei and electrons involved are constantly moving. The atoms in a bond vibrate around their equilibrium positions with a frequency that depends on the strength of the force between the atoms and their masses. Molecules experience a wide variety of vibrational motions, characteristic of their component atoms and the bonds between them. Examples: symmetrical stretching, anti-symmetrical stretching, scissoring, rocking. Vibrational states are quantized and transitions between them can be induced by providing the right e. The absorption of ir radiation at specific frequencies can then be used to detect the presence of specific bonds. The combination of ir spectroscopy and mass spectrometry is a powerful tool of analysis. The elemental analysis of a poison that causes blindness reveals the formula ch4o.
