Past exam of the chemistry A course of the University of Cambridge / 2021 / Paper 2 / A7 / d

Define ${\theta }_{\mathrm{rot}}={\hslash }^2/(2I{k}_{\mathrm{B}})$. Summing the spatial states counted in part (c),When $T\gg {\theta }_{\mathrm{rot}}$ the closely spaced terms can be replaced by a Gaussian integral:Here labelled means that the two ends of the molecular axis were distinguished in the angular count. In the usual high-temperature molecular convention that removes equivalent orientations and factors out nuclear-spin multiplicity, divide by the rotational symmetry number $s=2$ for homonuclear hydrogen:The full exact spin isomers of hydrogen count is instead the even-$m$ spatial sum plus three times the odd-$m$ sum; its high-temperature limit is $2\sqrt{\pi T/{\theta }_{\mathrm{rot}}}$, including the four nuclear-spin states. These conventions differ only by temperature-independent factors in this limit. All give $U_{\mathrm{rot},\mathrm{m}}=RT/2$ and $C_{V,m}^{\mathrm{rot}}=R/2$, consistent with one quadratic rotational degree of freedom. By comparison, the free linear rigid rotor has $q_{\mathrm{rot}}\propto T$ and $C_{V,m}^{\mathrm{rot}}=R$.