November 25, 2024, 11:45:28 AM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: How much rotational energy in a diatomic molecule?  (Read 3006 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline oscillate_wildly

  • Regular Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
How much rotational energy in a diatomic molecule?
« on: August 05, 2009, 10:57:01 AM »
How much rotational energy would you expect one mole of a diatomic molecule to
possess on average at a temperature T?

I thought the answer would be (1/2RT) x 2 but the question is 3 marks so it can't be. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Offline Yggdrasil

  • Retired Staff
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3215
  • Mole Snacks: +485/-21
  • Gender: Male
  • Physical Biochemist
Re: How much rotational energy in a diatomic molecule?
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2009, 12:31:58 PM »
You have the right idea.  From the equipartition theorem, we know that each degree of freedom contributes on average (1/2)RT of kinetic energy per mole [not 1/(2RT) as you have written].  Since linear molecules have only 2 rotational degrees of freedom, the rotational energy would be 2 * (1/2)RT = RT.

Sponsored Links