Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-chemistry-a-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2025/paper-1/a3/a/ii/solution

The first vibrational overtone is , with . It lies near twice the fundamental wavenumber, generally slightly below it because of anharmonicity. The linear-dipole harmonic model forbids it; anharmonic wavefunctions or higher terms in the dipole expansion give a weak intensity. Thus it is generally weaker than the corresponding fundamental.

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