Symmetry in molecules

The following sections are included:

• Symmetry operation and symmetry element

  • Rotational axes and operations

  • Centres of symmetry and the inversion operations

  • Planes of symmetry and the reflection operations

  • Rotatory-inversion axes and operations

  • Rotatory-reflection axes and operations

• Symmetry operations of a group and combination of symmetry elements

  • Definition of a group

  • Multiplication table of a group

  • Combination of symmetry elements

• Point groups of molecules

  • Classification of point groups of molecules

  • The differentiation of point groups of molecules

• The symmetry and optical activity of molecules

• The dipole moment and polarizability of molecules

  • Dipole moment and structure of molecules

  • The induced dipole moment and polarizability of molecules

• Representations of groups

  • Matrix representations of symmetry operations

  • The properties of character and the character table

  • Example on the applications of the character table

• Problems 4