Rotation, internal energy

Likewise for linear gas molecules the rotational internal energy is... 

Statistical Thermodynamics of Adsorbates. First, from a thermodynamic or statistical mechanical point of view, the internal energy and entropy of a molecule should be different in the adsorbed state from that in the gaseous state. This is quite apart from the energy of the adsorption bond itself or the entropy associated with confining a molecule to the interfacial region. It is clear, for example, that the adsorbed molecule may lose part or all of its freedom to rotate. 

Since translational and internal energy (of rotation and vibration) are independent, the partition function for the gas can be written... 

Information about the structure of a molecule can frequently be obtained from observations of its absorption spectrum. The positions of the absorption bands due to any molecule depend upon its atomic and electronic configuration. To a first approximation, the internal energy E oi a, molecule can be regarded as composed of additive contributions from the electronic motions within the molecule (Et), the vibrational motions of the constituent atoms relative to one another E ), and the rotational motion of the molecule as a whole (Ef) ... 

For reactions between atoms, the computation needs to model only the translational energy of impact. For molecular reactions, there are internal energies to be included in the calculation. These internal energies are vibrational and rotational motions, which have quantized energy levels. Even with these corrections included, rate constant calculations tend to lose accuracy as the complexity of the molecular system and reaction mechanism increases. 

In (a), an ion and a gas atom approach each other with a total kinetic energy of KE, + KEj. After collision (b), the atom and ion follow new trajectories. If the sum of KE, + KEj is equal to KE3 + KE4, the collision is elastic. In an inelastic collision (b), the sums of kinetic energies are not equal, and the difference appears as an excess of internal energy in the ion and gas molecule. If the collision gas is atomic, there can be no rotational and no vibrational energy in the atom, but there is a possibility of electronic excitation. Since most collision gases are helium or argon, almost all of the excess of internal energy appears in the ion. 

Solids and liquids also have internal energy. In the case of solids, translational motion is usually very limited and rotational motion is only present in special circumstances the common form of internal energy is usually vibrational. In liquids, all three forms of energy are usually present, although in some instances, some forms of motion may be restricted. 

This energy increase can take different forms. It can be added as translational kinetic energy to speed up the movement to and fro of the molecules it can be added to the rotations of the molecules to get them to spin faster it can be added to increase the amplitude of the vibrational oscillations of the molecules and it can be added to excite electrons to higher energy states in the atoms or molecules. Other forms of internal energy are also possible, but the above are the most common. 

The contribution of translational and rotational motion to the internal energy can be estimated from the temperature. 

A linear molecule, such as any diatomic molecule, carbon dioxide, and ethyne (acetylene, HC=CH), can rotate about two axes perpendicular to the line of atoms, and so it has two rotational modes of motion. Its average rotational energy is therefore 2 X jkT = kT, and the contribution to the molar internal energy is NA times this value ... 

A nonlinear molecule, such as water, methane, or benzene, can rotate about any of three perpendicular axes, and so it has three rotational modes of motion. The average rotational energy of such a molecule is therefore 3 X jkT = ]kT. The contribution of rotation to the molar internal energy of a gas of nonlinear molecules is therefore... 

Internal energy is stored as molecular kinetic and potential energy. The equipartition theorem can be used to estimate the translational and rotational contributions to the internal energy of an ideal gas. 

The molar heat capacities of gases composed of molecules (as distinct from atoms) are Higher than those of monatomic gases because the molecules can store energy as rotational kinetic energy as well as translational kinetic energy. We saw in Section 6.7 that the rotational motion of linear molecules contributes another RT to the molar internal energy ... 

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