Symmetry in Bonding and Spectra

In this introductory chapter we draw on your familiarity with symmetry to examine elements of symmetry. With just this background and your knowledge of chemistry we can see how symmetry applies to orbitals in atoms and molecules. The same symmetry considerations apply to energy states of atoms and molecules and therefore to electronic and vibrational spectroscopy. The detailed treatment of an example can be followed pictorially. Do not be distracted by the terminology and notation used in the example; definitions and explanations will follow in later chapters.