HCl Energy and Angular Momentum ?

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The discussion centers on calculating the energy and angular momentum for the first nonzero rotational state of HCl, with a bond distance of 1.29 Å. The correct approach involves using the energy formula E = B*J*(J+1) for a rigid rotor, where B is the rotational constant derived from the bond distance and reduced mass. The lowest energy level corresponds to J=0, where energy is zero, while for J=1, angular momentum Lz is quantized. Participants clarify that the initial equations presented were incorrect, emphasizing the need for proper definitions of B and Lz. Accurate calculations are crucial for understanding the rotational states of diatomic molecules like HCl.
Rick2015
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The bond distance for HCl is 1.29 A. At the lowest rotational state the energy is zero.
What is the energy and angular momentum Lz corresponding to the first nonzero rotational state?

I m not sure if I am approaching this problem right.
first I did 1.2 A = 8.3 x 10^7 cm^-1
Then I used this equation for energy because HCl has characteristic of diatomic molecule.
E = (v cm^-1)hc100
is this right?
 
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Rick2015 said:
The bond distance for HCl is 1.29 A. At the lowest rotational state the energy is zero.
What is the energy and angular momentum Lz corresponding to the first nonzero rotational state?

I m not sure if I am approaching this problem right.
first I did 1.2 A = 8.3 x 10^7 cm^-1
Then I used this equation for energy because HCl has characteristic of diatomic molecule.
E = (v cm^-1)hc100
is this right?

This is not right.

The energy levels for a rigid rotor look like:

E = B*J*(J+1), where B is the rotational constant.

You can calculate B using the bond distance and the reduced mass. For Cl there are two isotopes with significant natural occurrences.

For the lowest level, J=0, E=0.

Angular momentum is similar.

Wikipedia has an ok discussion of this. Google "rigid rotor energy levels"
 
Ok. Thanks
So B = hbar/2I
And for the angular momentum: Lz = Mj hbar
but if J = 1 ; M = -1, 0, 1 right?
lost again? because if I just use 1 I will have Lz = hbar
 
Rick2015 said:
Ok. Thanks
So B = hbar/2I
And for the angular momentum: Lz = Mj hbar
but if J = 1 ; M = -1, 0, 1 right?
lost again? because if I just use 1 I will have Lz = hbar

Your equation for B is still not correct...
Angular momentum is quantized in units of h-bar
 
B = hbar^2 / 2 I
 
Time reversal invariant Hamiltonians must satisfy ##[H,\Theta]=0## where ##\Theta## is time reversal operator. However, in some texts (for example see Many-body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics an introduction, HENRIK BRUUS and KARSTEN FLENSBERG, Corrected version: 14 January 2016, section 7.1.4) the time reversal invariant condition is introduced as ##H=H^*##. How these two conditions are identical?

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