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Grade 12th passPhysical Chemistry

How to calculate degree of freedom of molecules like h2o,n2,,he

Profile image of Ashutosh pradhan
7 Years agoGrade 12th pass
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3 Answers

Profile image of Arun
7 Years ago

This leaves three vibrational degrees of freedom: two internuclear distances between the oxygen and the hydrogens, and the bond angle at the oxygen. It should be clear that these are sufficient to specify a shape for the molecule and that they are independent. 

It's also worth mentioning, by the way, that those degrees of freedom are not the most useful way to describe the vibrations, because it's essentially impossible for one internuclear distance to vibrate without affecting the other bond. Instead, you normally rewrite the dynamics in terms of three which are able to vibrate on their own without affecting the others: thus, the coordinates of interest are in essence 

  • the sum of the O-H internuclear distances, corresponding to a symmetric stretch;
  • the difference of the O-H internuclear distances, corresponding to an antisymmetric stretch; an
  • the bond angle at the oxygen, corresponding to a bending mode of the molecule.
Profile image of Ashutosh pradhan
7 Years ago
To determine total degree of freedom ,a molecule consisting of n-atom will have 3n degree of freedom.because each one of atoms has 3 degree of freedom.since .there  Are 3 mutually perpendicular axis along which it can move.no of translational degree of freedom=3, the rotational degree of freedom
Profile image of Ashutosh pradhan
7 Years ago
And vibrational degree of freedom are known as the internal degree of freedom.then we have to know that which type of atomic gas is given in the question for example the molecule is monoatomic or di-atomic or tri-atomic etc 
By this the degree of freedom can be solved.
By this u can solve