In: Chemistry
It is relatively easy to study sodium vapor spectroscopically over boiling sodium at 1160 K. There is a question whether the molecule, N_a3 is linear or bent. Which would have the largest molecular partition function, q, at that temperature (N_a3 linear or N_a3 bent)? What molecular constants would need to be measured to determine this? (Assume that the bond strengths are teh same in each geometry and ignore electronic states.)