MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Flashcards: 4d Spectroscopy Molecular Absorption

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on 4d Spectroscopy Molecular Absorption, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is wavenumber and how is it related to wavelength?

Answer: $\tilde{\nu} = \frac{1}{\lambda}$. Wavenumber is the reciprocal of wavelength, often used in spectroscopy for its proportionality to energy.

Flashcard 2: What is absorbance in terms of incident and transmitted light intensities?

Answer: $A = \log_{10}\!\left(\frac{I_0}{I}\right)$. Absorbance quantifies light absorption as the logarithm of the ratio of incident to transmitted intensity.

Flashcard 3: What does the IR spectrum x-axis usually report: wavelength, frequency, or wavenumber?

Answer: Wavenumber, $\text{cm}^{-1}$. IR spectra use wavenumber for its direct proportionality to vibrational energy and frequency.

Flashcard 4: What structural change typically causes a bathochromic (red) shift in UV-Vis absorption?

Answer: Increased conjugation (smaller $\Delta E$). Extended conjugation reduces the HOMO-LUMO energy gap, shifting absorption to longer wavelengths.

Flashcard 5: Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum is primarily used in $^1\text{H}$ NMR spectroscopy?

Answer: Radiofrequency (MHz range). Radiofrequency matches the energy differences between nuclear spin states in a magnetic field for proton NMR.

Flashcard 6: Which UV-Vis shift corresponds to absorption at a shorter wavelength (higher energy)?

Answer: Hypsochromic (blue) shift. Shorter wavelength absorption implies higher energy transitions, termed hypsochromic or blue shift.

Flashcard 7: Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum is primarily used in IR spectroscopy?

Answer: Mid-IR, about $4000\text{ cm}^{-1}$ to $400\text{ cm}^{-1}$. Mid-IR radiation matches the energy of molecular vibrations, enabling absorption in IR spectroscopy.

Flashcard 8: Which region of the electromagnetic spectrum is primarily used in UV-Vis spectroscopy?

Answer: UV and visible light (about $200\text{ nm}$ to $800\text{ nm}$). UV-Vis light provides energy for electronic transitions in molecules, leading to absorption spectra in that range.

Flashcard 9: What is transmittance in terms of transmitted and incident light intensities?

Answer: $T = \frac{I}{I_0}$. Transmittance measures the fraction of incident light that passes through the sample without absorption.

Flashcard 10: What is the Beer–Lambert law in terms of absorbance, path length, and concentration?

Answer: $A = \varepsilon \ell c$. Absorbance is proportional to molar absorptivity, path length, and concentration in dilute solutions.

Flashcard 11: What does $\lambda_{\max}$ represent on a UV-Vis absorption spectrum?

Answer: Wavelength of maximum absorbance. It indicates the wavelength where the molecule absorbs most strongly, corresponding to peak electronic transition efficiency.

Flashcard 12: What electronic transition is most commonly measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy in organic molecules?

Answer: $\pi \rightarrow \pi^*$ (and $n \rightarrow \pi^*$). These low-energy electronic promotions occur in conjugated systems, absorbing in the UV-Vis region.

Flashcard 13: If concentration doubles with constant $\varepsilon$ and $\ell$, how does absorbance change?

Answer: Absorbance doubles. Per Beer-Lambert law, absorbance is directly proportional to concentration when other factors are constant.

Flashcard 14: What is the typical IR absorption range for a carbonyl $\text{C}=\text{O}$ stretch?

Answer: About $1700\text{ cm}^{-1}$ (roughly $1650$–$1750\text{ cm}^{-1}$). Carbonyl stretches absorb in this range due to the bond's strength and reduced mass in the harmonic oscillator model.

Flashcard 15: What is the selection rule for an IR-active vibrational mode?

Answer: Vibration must change the dipole moment. For IR absorption, the vibration must alter the molecule's dipole to interact with the electric field.

Flashcard 16: Identify the quantity that equals $\frac{A}{\ell c}$ in Beer–Lambert law.

Answer: Molar absorptivity, $\varepsilon$. Molar absorptivity is the constant of proportionality in Beer-Lambert law, derived by rearranging the equation.

Flashcard 17: What is the typical unit for molar absorptivity $\varepsilon$ in Beer–Lambert law?

Answer: $\text{L}\,\text{mol}^{-1}\,\text{cm}^{-1}$. These units arise from absorbance (unitless), path length in cm, and concentration in mol/L.

Flashcard 18: How are absorbance and transmittance related?

Answer: $A = -\log_{10}(T)$. Absorbance is the negative logarithm of transmittance, linking the two in spectroscopic measurements.

Flashcard 19: What is the equation for resonance condition in NMR using gyromagnetic ratio $\gamma$ and field $B_0$?

Answer: $\omega_0 = \gamma B_0$. Resonance occurs when the applied frequency matches the Larmor (angular) frequency, given by gyromagnetic ratio times magnetic field.

Flashcard 20: What is the relationship between photon energy and frequency?

Answer: $E = h\nu$. Photon energy is directly proportional to its frequency, as described by Planck's relation with constant $h$.

Flashcard 21: What type of molecular motion is primarily probed by IR spectroscopy?

Answer: Bond vibrations (stretching and bending). IR radiation energies align with vibrational transitions, causing bonds to stretch or bend upon absorption.

Flashcard 22: What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength for light in vacuum?

Answer: $c = \lambda\nu$. The speed of light equals the product of wavelength and frequency for electromagnetic waves in vacuum.

Flashcard 23: If path length changes from $1.0\text{ cm}$ to $2.0\text{ cm}$, how does $A$ change (all else constant)?

Answer: $A$ doubles. Absorbance scales linearly with path length according to the Beer-Lambert law, assuming constant concentration and absorptivity.

Flashcard 24: What IR wavenumber range is commonly called the fingerprint region?

Answer: About $1500\text{ cm}^{-1}$ to $500\text{ cm}^{-1}$. This range contains complex, molecule-specific bands useful for identifying unique molecular structures.

Flashcard 25: What is the relationship between photon energy and wavelength?

Answer: $E = \frac{hc}{\lambda}$. Photon energy is inversely proportional to wavelength, derived from combining Planck's relation and the speed of light.