Molecular Symmetry and Point Groups: The Topic That Pays for Itself
Inorganic Chemistry · Symmetry Molecular Symmetry and Point Groups: The Topic That Pays for Itself Symmetry is taught as an abstract unit and then quietly assumed by spectroscopy, bonding and coordination chemistry. Learning it early makes three later topics cheaper. BSc & MSc · Inorganic Chemistry · Concept The short answer: Identify the symmetry elements a molecule possesses, assign it to a point group using a fixed decision sequence, and the character table then tells you which vibrations are infrared or Raman active, whether a molecule can be polar, and whether it can be chiral. It is one of the…