- #1
Archosaur
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I understand quantized energy, and how it pertains to electron energy levels, but I just read that rotational energy of molecules is also quantized. Here's the original quote:
"A macroscopic object like a child's top can store an amount of energy that, in effect, varies continuously with its rotation rate. For tiny objects like molecules in the atmosphere, the energy of rotation is quantized and can take on only discrete values. Rotational energy transitions involve energy changes that correspond to the energy of photons with wavelengths shorter than about 1 cm."
Doesn't this mean that a given molecule can be spinning with one of several distinct angular velocities, but not with any intermediate angular velocities? Does it not accelerate from one angular velocity to the next?
"A macroscopic object like a child's top can store an amount of energy that, in effect, varies continuously with its rotation rate. For tiny objects like molecules in the atmosphere, the energy of rotation is quantized and can take on only discrete values. Rotational energy transitions involve energy changes that correspond to the energy of photons with wavelengths shorter than about 1 cm."
Doesn't this mean that a given molecule can be spinning with one of several distinct angular velocities, but not with any intermediate angular velocities? Does it not accelerate from one angular velocity to the next?