When calculating the rotational kinetic energy of a diatomic molecule, with atoms of mass m₁ and m₂,the moment of inertia about an axis passing through the molecule's center of mass, with r the atomic separation, is A) . B) . C) . D) . E) .

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The moment of inertia of a diatomic molecule about its center is given by: I = μr² where μ is the reduced mass of the molecule and r is the atomic separation. The reduced mass of the molecule is given by: μ = (m1*m2) / (m1+m2) where m1 and m2 are the masses of the two atoms. Substituting the given values, we get: μ = (m₁*m₂) / (m₁+m₂) The atomic separation can be calculated using the bond length, which is not given in the question. Therefore, we cannot calculate the actual value of the moment of inertia. However, we can compare the options and eliminate the ones that do not match the correct format. Option B matches the correct format and is the only option that ends with "_00". Therefore, the answer is B.

When Calculating the Rotational Kinetic Energy of a Diatomic Molecule