UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
Department of Physics
PHYLAB3 Laboratory Course

IM: Iodine molecular spectroscopy

• The IM data is easy to take, but a good analysis requires much reading, understanding of quantum mechanics, and data analysis, where you need to write your own code.
• A basic understanding of optical spectroscopy and operation of the Heath Monochromator is expected. In this regard, optimal choices of slit width, counting times, wavelength steps, etc. are essential to deriving meaningful values to the IM molecular constants.
• A minimal expectation is that you can:
  • Describe the processes of absorption and emission of light.
  • Qualitatively describe the structure of a diatomic molecule and how the electronic, vibrational, and rotational energies are manifested in the absorption spectrum, and in the emission
    spectrum. What electronic and vibrational states of iodine are involved in the absorption spectrum?

Essential readings

• Prac description
• More on Iodine Molecule
• Harmonic oscillator
• Molecular structure
• Experiment on Iodine vapour
• Fitting of molecular constants

RETURN TO: UCT PHYLAB3