- #1
mpocciot
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Hello all,
Many Physics texts simply say that atoms "vibrate" when heat energy is transfer to a metal bar when it is heated. Or that molecules vibrate as the result of heat transfer.
I'm trying to understand what makes an atom or molecule "move" or oscillate when energy is given to it.
If I have only one molecule in a region of space with no other molecules or atoms around it and a beam of light from the sun hits it, the molecule will oscillate up and down because of the electromagnetic fields? It is just a matter of electric charges in the molecule moving in a field?
I don't think the atoms would absorb energy and start to move by themselves as if something inside the particles were creating that motion like a mexican jumping bean. Either they move as a result of momentum being transferred or by the charges being submitted to an electromagnetic field (or even because of a gravitational field acting upon its mass)
In brownian motion we know that the molecules move as the result of numerous collisions they undertake one another. But what if I have only one molecule?
many thanks for any comments.
Cheers,
Marcio
Many Physics texts simply say that atoms "vibrate" when heat energy is transfer to a metal bar when it is heated. Or that molecules vibrate as the result of heat transfer.
I'm trying to understand what makes an atom or molecule "move" or oscillate when energy is given to it.
If I have only one molecule in a region of space with no other molecules or atoms around it and a beam of light from the sun hits it, the molecule will oscillate up and down because of the electromagnetic fields? It is just a matter of electric charges in the molecule moving in a field?
I don't think the atoms would absorb energy and start to move by themselves as if something inside the particles were creating that motion like a mexican jumping bean. Either they move as a result of momentum being transferred or by the charges being submitted to an electromagnetic field (or even because of a gravitational field acting upon its mass)
In brownian motion we know that the molecules move as the result of numerous collisions they undertake one another. But what if I have only one molecule?
many thanks for any comments.
Cheers,
Marcio