Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-chemistry-course-of-the-year-3-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2022/paper-2a/section-b/21/b/ii/solution
Past exam of the chemistry course of the year 3 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2022 Paper 2A Section B 21 b ii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
The subbranch spacing gives , hence . Rotation about the C–I symmetry axis has momentC and I lie on this axis, so only the three hydrogens contribute to . If is the I–C–H angle, their perpendicular distances are . Taking integer hydrogen mass givesThe molecular arrangement selects the obtuse solution, so . The supplementary acute angle describes the opposite axial direction, not the bond angle to iodine. This is a rigid-geometry estimate based on an effective rotational constant and the stipulated bond length, rather than a precision equilibrium-structure measurement.
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