All books

Professional

Apps About Coach Log in Start reading

Chemistry · Glossary

What is Types of rotors?

Also known as: spherical top · symmetric top · asymmetric top

Definition 6.23 University Chemistry — Year 3 · Chapter 6 — Rotational and Vibrational Spectroscopy

A molecule with three equal principal moments of inertia is a spherical top (CHX4\ce{CH4}, SFX6\ce{SF6}); with two equal, a symmetric top (NHX3\ce{NH3}, CHClX3\ce{CHCl3}, CX6HX6\ce{C6H6}); with all three different, an asymmetric top (HX2O\ce{H2O}, most molecules); linear molecules have one moment zero.

Read in context →