Basic conceptual/intuitive question on molecular vibrations and rotations.

Animastryfe
Messages
80
Reaction score
0
Could someone please help me get a very basic intuitive understanding of what rotational and vibrational quantum numbers mean? For simplicity, assume a diatomic molecule. For example, does a higher rotational quantum number mean that the molecule is rotating faster? Is the vibration number a measure of the displacement of the atoms from their internuclear distance as they vibrate?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
that is their classical analogy yes
 
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. Towards the end of the first lecture for the Qiskit Global Summer School 2025, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Olivia Lanes (Global Lead, Content and Education IBM) stated... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/quantum-entanglement-is-a-kinematic-fact-not-a-dynamical-effect/ by @RUTA
If we release an electron around a positively charged sphere, the initial state of electron is a linear combination of Hydrogen-like states. According to quantum mechanics, evolution of time would not change this initial state because the potential is time independent. However, classically we expect the electron to collide with the sphere. So, it seems that the quantum and classics predict different behaviours!
Back
Top