Question

What is the vibrational frequency of a molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2) in its ground state? Provide your answer in units of wavenumber (cm-1).

Answer 1

In a carbon dioxide  CO2  molecule, there are three fundamental vibrational modes: symmetric stretching, asymmetric stretching, and bending. The vibrational frequencies for these modes are as follows:1. Symmetric stretching  1 : 1286 cm2. Asymmetric stretching  3 : 2349 cm3. Bending  2 : 667 cmIn the ground state, the vibrational frequency of a CO2 molecule is the lowest frequency mode, which is the bending mode  2 . Therefore, the vibrational frequency of a CO2 molecule in its ground state is 667 cm.