Question:medium

The microwave spectrum of gaseous \(\mathrm{HF}\) consists of a series of lines separated by \(41.11\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}\). The bond length (in \(\mathrm{\mathring{A}}\)) of \(\mathrm{HF}\) is (rounded off to two decimal places).

(Given: Atomic mass (in amu): \(\mathrm{H} = 1.008\), \(\mathrm{F} = 18.998\); \(1\ \mathrm{amu} = 1.661\times10^{-27}\ \mathrm{kg}\); \(h = 6.626\times10^{-34}\ \mathrm{J\,s}\); \(c = 2.998\times10^{8}\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}\))

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Rotational lines in a rigid-rotor microwave spectrum are spaced by \(2B\). Get \(B\), then \(I\), then \(r\) from \(I=\mu r^2\).
Updated On: Jul 20, 2026
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Correct Answer: 0.93

Solution and Explanation

Another way to get the same answer is to switch everything to frequency units before touching the moment of inertia formula, instead of carrying $B$ in $\mathrm{cm^{-1}}$ all the way through.

The rotational lines of a rigid diatomic sit at $\tilde\nu = 2B(J+1)$ in wavenumber units, and the paper tells us consecutive lines are $41.11\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}$ apart, so $B = 20.555\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}$.

Turn this into an ordinary frequency using $\nu = cB$ (with $c$ in $\mathrm{cm\,s^{-1}}$):

\[ \nu = (2.998\times10^{10}\ \mathrm{cm\,s^{-1}})(20.555\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}) = 6.1638\times10^{11}\ \mathrm{Hz} \]

The rotational energy levels are $E_J = \frac{\hbar^2}{2I}J(J+1)$, which turns the same spacing rule into $\nu = h/(4\pi^2 I)$ in ordinary frequency form. Rearranging for $I$:

\[ I = \frac{h}{4\pi^2\nu} = \frac{6.626\times10^{-34}}{4\pi^2\times6.1638\times10^{11}} = 1.3618\times10^{-47}\ \mathrm{kg\,m^2} \]

This is the same moment of inertia as before, as it must be, since it is just a different bookkeeping of the same $B$.

Now find the reduced mass in kg using the atomic masses and the amu-to-kg conversion together:

\[ \mu = \frac{(1.008)(18.998)}{1.008+18.998}\times1.661\times10^{-27} = 0.9572\times1.661\times10^{-27} = 1.5899\times10^{-27}\ \mathrm{kg} \]

Since $I=\mu r^2$,

\[ r = \sqrt{\frac{I}{\mu}} = \sqrt{\frac{1.3618\times10^{-47}}{1.5899\times10^{-27}}} = 9.25\times10^{-11}\ \mathrm{m} = 0.93\ \mathrm{\mathring{A}} \]

The H-F bond length comes out to $0.93\ \mathrm{\mathring{A}}$, the same value reached through the wavenumber route, a good check that both approaches agree.

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