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So Far We Can Say Staggered Ethane Has Three Operations: E, C, and C

The document discusses the symmetry elements and operations of staggered ethane. It identifies 12 unique symmetry operations including 5 rotations, 3 reflections, inversion, and 2 improper rotations. These 12 operations comprise the molecular point group D3d. Point groups describe the symmetry of objects using the identity, rotations, reflections, inversions, and improper rotations they possess.

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418 views16 pages

So Far We Can Say Staggered Ethane Has Three Operations: E, C, and C

The document discusses the symmetry elements and operations of staggered ethane. It identifies 12 unique symmetry operations including 5 rotations, 3 reflections, inversion, and 2 improper rotations. These 12 operations comprise the molecular point group D3d. Point groups describe the symmetry of objects using the identity, rotations, reflections, inversions, and improper rotations they possess.

Uploaded by

Devi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Symmetry in Molecules: Staggered Ethane

So far we can say staggered ethane has three operations: E, C3, and C32
Symmetry in Molecules: Staggered Ethane

So we add three more operations: C2, C2′, and C2″


Symmetry in Molecules: Staggered Ethane
σd''

σd'
σd

σd'' σd
σd'

Now we’ve added three reflections: σd, σd′, and σd″


Note that there is no σh for staggered ethane!
Symmetry in Molecules: Staggered Ethane

Ethane also has an inversion center that lies at the midpoint


of the C-C bond (the center of the molecule).
Symmetry in Molecules: Staggered Ethane
Finally, staggered ethane also has an improper rotation axis.
It is an S6 (S2n) axis that is coincident with the C3 axis.

An S6 rotation is a combination of a
C6 followed by a perpendicular
reflection (i.e., a σh).
Symmetry in Molecules: Staggered Ethane
Finally, staggered ethane also has an improper rotation axis.
It is an S6 (S2n) axis that is coincident with the C3 axis.
Symmetry in Molecules: Staggered Ethane
It turns out that there are several redundancies
when counting up the unique improper rotations:

So the improper rotations add only two unique operations.


Symmetry in Molecules: Staggered Ethane
Let’s sum up the symmetry operations for staggered ethane:

Operation type Number


Identity 1
Rotations 5 (2C3 + 3C2)
Reflections 3 (3σd) 
Inversion 1
Improper Rotations 2 (S6 + S65)
Total 12

• These 12 symmetry operations describe completely and without


redundancy the symmetry properties of the staggered ethane molecule.

• The complete set of symmetry operations possessed by an object defines


its point group. For example, the point group of staggered ethane is D3d.

• The total number of operations is called the order (h) of a point group. The
order is always an integer multiple of n of the principal axis. For staggered
ethane, h = 4n (4 × 3 = 12).
Summary
Symmetry Elements and Operations

• elements are imaginary points, lines, or planes within the object.

• operations are movements that take an object between equivalent


configurations – indistinguishable from the original configuration,
although not necessarily identical to it.

• for molecules we use “point” symmetry operations, which include


rotations, reflections, inversion, improper rotations, and the
identity. At least one point remains stationary in a point operation.

• some symmetry operations are redundant (e.g., S62 ≡ C3); in these


cases, the convention is to list the simpler operation.
Low-Symmetry Point Groups
These point groups only contain one or two symmetry operations

C1 Cs Ci
{E} {E, σh} {E, i}
High-Symmetry Point Groups
These point groups are high-symmetry groups derived from Platonic solids

Td Oh Ih
{E, 8C3, 3C2, 6S4, {E, 8C3, 6C2, 6C4, 3C2, {E, 12C5, 12C52, 20C3,
6σd} = 24 i, 6S4, 8S6, 3σh, 6σd} = 48 15C2, i, 12S10, 12S103,
20S6, 15σ} = 120

Buckminsterfullerene
(C60)
The five regular Platonic solids are the tetrahedron (Td), octahedron (Oh),
cube (Oh), dodecahedron (Ih), and icosahedron (Ih)
High-Symmetry Point Groups
In addition to Td, Oh, and Ih, there are corresponding point groups that
lack the mirror planes (T, O, and I).

Adding an inversion center to the T point group gives the Th point group.

Th example:
Linear Point Groups
These point groups have a C∞ axis as the principal rotation axis

C∞v D∞h
{E, 2C∞φ, …, ∞σv} {E, 2C∞φ, …,∞C2, i,
2S∞φ, ∞σv}
D Point Groups
These point groups have nC2 axes perpendicular to a principal axis (Cn)

Dn Dnh Dnd
{E, (n-1)Cn, n٣C2} {depends on n, {depends on n,
with h = 4n} with h = 4n}

allene
(propadiene)
D3 D3h D2d
{E, 2C3, 3C2, σh, 2S3, 3σv} {E, 2S4, C2, 2C2’, 2σd}
C Point Groups
These point groups have a principal axis (Cn) but no ٣C2 axes

Cn Cnv Cnh
{E, (n-1)Cn} {E, (n-1)Cn, nσv} {depends on n,
with h = 2n}

C2 C3v C2h
{E, C2} {E, 2C3, 3σv} {E, C2, i, σh}
S Point Groups
If an object has a principal axis (Cn) and an S2n axis but no ٣C2 axes
and no mirror planes, it falls into an S2n group

S2n
{depends on n, with h = 2n}

cyclopentadienyl (Cp)
ring =
Co4Cp4

S4
{E, S4, C2, S43}

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