Light of wavelength 800 nm is incident on a sample of gas-phase diatomic molecules.
Answer the following questions, using any needed physical constants from the standard AP reference tables.
(1) Calculate the energy of a single 800 nm photon in joules.
(2) Typical fundamental vibrational transitions in diatomic molecules correspond to photon energies on the order of 4×10−20J. Compare the energy you calculated in part (a) with this vibrational energy and state whether 800 nm radiation is sufficiently energetic to excite a fundamental vibrational transition.
(3) Based on your comparison in part (b) and the position of 800 nm within the electromagnetic spectrum, identify the most probable type of transition (rotational, vibrational, or electronic) that 800 nm photons would induce in the molecule. Justify your answer.