Deformation vibration
Deformation vibrations are molecular vibrations in which at least one bond angle between the atoms of a molecule changes.
The deformation vibration must be distinguished from the stretching vibration
Deformation vibrations can consist of complicated movements. One differentiates (see figures)
- Deformation vibrations that vibrate in one plane (rocking, scissoring), and
- Deformation vibrations that swing out of the plane (twisting, wagging),
the plane of vibration is determined by at least three atoms of a molecule.
The vibration excitation results from the absorption of radiated electromagnetic waves, preferably in the infrared range , since these are energetically in the range of the vibration levels of molecular bonds .
The observed vibration frequencies and energies are characteristic of the respective bond or molecule groups and thus result in characteristic bands in the measured spectrum , so that they can be used for substance identification and structure elucidation ( IR spectroscopy ).