MadSci Network: Physics
Query:

Re: How can one measure the molecular vibrations of a body?

Date: Fri Oct 5 06:35:50 2001
Posted By: Nial Tanvir, Faculty, Astrophysics, University of Hertfordshire
Area of science: Physics
ID: 1001035704.Ph
Message:

Molecular vibrations are indeed often in the 10s or 100s  of terahertz 
regime.  But remember that optical light has a frequency approaching 
a petahertz (10 to power 15), so molecular transitions typically involve
fairly ordinary infrared photons, which could be studied with an
infrared spectrograph, for instance.

Whether matter melts (or vapourises) depends on the forces between
the molecules.  Although such frequencies sound incredibly high, the
fact is that atoms and molecules have even more incredibly low mass
(10 to power -27 kg for a proton), so electromagnetic forces (even if
they are comparatively weak residual bonds such as van der Waals) may
be enough to hold the molecules solidly.



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