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molecular spectroscopy

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potential energy curves
potential energy curves Figure 7: (A) Potential energy, V(r), as a function of the internuclear separation r for a typical diatomic molecule. The equilibrium bond length, re, is the internuclear distance corresponding to the depth of the potential minimum (D) of the molecule. Horizontal lines represent vibrational energy levels. (B) The energy of the hydrogen iodide (HI) molecule in its six lowest electronic states as a function of the internuclear distance r. The curves are labeled with the standard term symbol notation for the corresponding state.

Molecular spectroscopy involves studying how molecules interact with electromagnetic radiation. Molecules have quantized energy states, and transitions between these states result in the absorption or emission of radiation, creating a spectrum.1

There are three main types of spectrometer systems:
* Emission: Molecules are excited to higher energy states and the emitted radiation as they return is analyzed.2
* Absorption: Radiation passes through a sample, and the frequencies absorbed are measured.2
* Fourier Transform: This method offers greater speed, resolution, and sensitivity by analyzing interferograms.2

Spectroscopy can analyze molecules in solid, liquid, or gas phases and provides information about their structure, including bond lengths and angles, as well as properties like electric dipole moments. It is used in fields like microwave spectroscopy, which operates in the gigahertz range, and is crucial for identifying molecules in space.23

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. spectroscopy - Experimental methods
  2. spectroscopy - General principles
  3. spectroscopy - Molecular applications

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