contain more than two atoms. For example, the molecule carbon dioxide (CO2) can
be modelled by three masses connected by two springs in a linear configuration
(see Figure 4.16). The central mass represents the carbon atom and the other
two masses represent the oxygen atoms while the springs represent the molecular
bonds. This system has two normal modes of vibration for displacements along the
line connecting the masses. These are called the symmetric stretch mode and the
asymmetric stretch mode as illustrated in Figure 4.16(a) and (b), respectively. In
the symmetric stretch mode the central mass remains fixed in position while the two
outer masses vibrate against it. In the asymmetric stretch mode the two outer masses
move in the same direction and maintain the same distance apart. However, since
there is no net translational motion, the central mass moves in the opposite direction
to keep the position of the centre of mass stationary. The normal frequencies
of molecular vibrations are determined experimentally by absorption spectroscopy.
In this technique, radiation of tunable frequency is passed through a cell containing
the molecules of interest. The oscillating electric field of the radiation interacts
with the molecule, which behaves like a driven oscillator (see also Section 3.3).
The intensity of the radiation, after it has passed through the cell, is measured as
a function of its frequency. This gives the absorption spectrum of the molecule.
When the frequency of the radiation matches a normal frequency, the radiation is
strongly absorbed by the molecules. (We are effectively observing the power resonance
curve, see also Section 3.3.) The frequencies at which this absorption occurs
give directly the normal mode frequencies of the molecule. The measured values
of the frequency ν for the symmetric stretch and the asymmetric stretch modes of
the CO2 molecule are 4.0 × 1013 s−1 and 7.0 × 1013 s−1, respectively. The CO2
molecule also has a bending mode of vibration as illustrated in Figure 4.16(c). The
frequency of this mode is 2.0 × 1013 s−1. This bending motion can occur in two
orthogonal planes and since these have the same frequency of vibration they are
said to be degenerate in frequency. These frequencies lie in the far infrared region
of the electromagnetic spectrum, with corresponding wavelengths of ∼10 μm.