For a COmolecule, the constant is approximately 0.00024eV.(This number is measured using microwave spectroscopy, that is, by measuring the microwave frequencies needed to excite the molecules into higher rotational states.) Calculate the rotational partition function for a COmolecule at room temperature (300K), first using the exact formula 6.30 and then using the approximate formula 6.31

Short Answer

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The rotational partition function of a heterogeneous diatomic molecule

Step by step solution

01

Rotational partition function:

The equation is

Zrot=j=0(2j+1)exp-j(j+1)kT

Here, is the rotational constant, kis the Boltzmann constant, and Tis the absolute temperature.

At higher temperatures, for kT>>, the rotational partition function becomes as follows:

Zrot=kT

Substitute 8.617×10-5eV/Kfork,300Kfor T, and 0.00024eVin the equationZrot=kT

Zrot=(8.617×10-5eV/K)(300K)0.00024eV=107.7

Therefore, the rotational partition function of a COmolecule is107.7

02

The rotational partition function of a heterogeneous diatomic molecule:

The equations are

Zrot=j=0(2j+1)exp-j(j+1)kT

Expand the above summation from j=0to j=50:

Zrot=1+3exp-2kT+5exp-6kT+7exp-12kT+...101exp-2550kT

Substitute 107.7for kTin the above equation.

Zrot=1+3exp-2107.7+5exp-6107.7+7exp-12107.7+...101exp-2550107.7

=108.03

Therefore, the exact value of rotational partition function of a COmolecule is108.03

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Although an ordinary H2 molecule consists of two identical atoms, this is not the case for the molecule HD, with one atom of deuterium (i.e., heavy hydrogen, 2H). Because of its small moment of inertia, the HD molecule has a relatively large value of ϵ:0.0057eV At approximately what temperature would you expect the rotational heat capacity of a gas of HD molecules to "freeze out," that is, to fall significantly below the constant value predicted by the equipartition theorem?

The analysis of this section applies also to liner polyatomic molecules, for which no rotation about the axis of symmetry is possible. An example is CO2, with =0.000049eV. Estimate the rotational partition function for a CO2molecule at room temperature. (Note that the arrangement of the atoms isOCO, and the two oxygen atoms are identical.)

Imagine a particle that can be in only three states, with energies -0.05 eV, 0, and 0.05 eV. This particle is in equilibrium with a reservoir at 300 K.

(a) Calculate the partition function for this particle.

(b) Calculate the probability for this particle to be in each of the three states.

(c) Because the zero point for measuring energies is arbitrary, we could just as well say that the energies of the three states are 0, +0.05 eV, and +0.10 eV, respectively. Repeat parts (a) and (b) using these numbers. Explain what changes and what doesn't.

Use Boltzmann factors to derive the exponential formula for the density of an isothermal atmosphere, already derived in Problems 1.16 and 3.37. (Hint: Let the system be a single air molecule, let s1 be a state with the molecule at sea level, and let s2 be a state with the molecule at height z.)

Apply the result of Problem 6.18 to obtain a formula for the standard deviation of the energy of a system of N identical harmonic oscillators (such as in an Einstein solid), in the high-temperature limit. Divide by the average energy to obtain a measure of the fractional fluctuation in energy. Evaluate this fraction numerically for N = 1, 104, and 1020. Discuss the results briefly.

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