The discussion centers on the absorption bands of liquid and vapor water, specifically in the infrared spectrum. It is established that water vapor exists at a higher energy state than liquid water, leading to differences in absorption characteristics. The presence of more hydrogen bonds in liquid water compared to vapor is noted as a significant factor, suggesting that liquid water should exhibit stronger absorption in the infrared band due to its molecular structure.
PREREQUISITESResearchers in physical chemistry, environmental scientists studying atmospheric water vapor, and anyone involved in spectroscopy or molecular analysis of water.
The infrared band is what I'm curious about. Also, my question was worded wrong...since liquid water has, on average, far more hydrogen bonds per molecule than water vapor, shouldn't there be an absorption difference? I would expect liquid water to absorb more strongly than vapor.Bystander said:Which absorption bands?