Character Table Flashcards
“Mulliken Symbol”
Meaning: Designates symmetry with respect to inversion center
Gerade (symmetric)
Ungerade (Antisymmetric)
“Mulliken Symbol”
In D Point Groups:
Meaning: Designate symmetry with respect to ⊥C2
Subscript 1 (Symmetric)
Subscript 2 (Antisymmetric)
“Mulliken Symbol”
In C Point Groups:
Meaning: Designate symmetry with respect to σ<span>v</span>
Subscript 1 (Symmetric)
Subscript 2 (Antisymmetric)
Properties of Multiplication Tables
A symmetric multiplication table of a finite group implies the group is _____.
An Abelian Group
Properties of Multiplication Tables
Every row and column contains each element exactly once.
True or False
True
A group whose elements are all members of another higher order group, both being subject to the same operations.
Subgroup
(Practical use: Building correlation diagrams)
Properties of the Character Table
The square of any irreducible representation will include the_____.
Totally symmetric irreducible representation
Around the Character Table
Identify the highlighted property of the character table below.

Totally symmetric irreducible representation
Around the Character Table
Identify the highlighted property of the character table below.

Mulliken Notation
Around the Character Table
Identify the highlighted property of the character table below.

Dimensions
Around the Character Table
What is the symmetry of a rotation along the x-axis in a D3h symmetric molecule?

E’‘
( x and y rotations are degenerate in this case)

The D4h molecule [PtCl4]2- has a b1g bending mode:
Applying the the project operator for b1g yields with θ1 as the basis:
Pb1g(θ1)=N(θ1 + θ3- θ2 - θ4)
What does the bending motion look like?


The facial isomer of MCl3(CO)3 has Cl streching modes with the irreducible representations of:
Γ=A1+E
How many Cl streching modes are there in MCl3(CO)3

3 Cl streching modes
A1 (1 mode)
E (2 degenerate modes)
What is the subgroup(s) of C3V based on the multiplication table below?

C3 (in purple)
Cs (in orange)

To have a subgroup g in a higher order group G, the divisor of the orders must be an integral value (e.g h/g )
True or False
True
Use the multiplication table below:
C4*σx= ?

σd
A group whose group operation between two elements does not depend on the order in which they are written.
Abelian Group
If a multiplication table’s values are symmetric along its diagonal axis, then that is an _______.
Abelian Group
Around the Character Table
What is the symmetry of the dipole moment along the z-axis in a D3h symmetric molecule?

A2’‘

Around the Character Table
The highlighted operations are ordered in what way?

Classes of Operations
Properties of Irreducible Representations
Each irreduible representation is _______ to all other irreducible representation of that group.
Orthogonal
Properties of Irreducible Representations
The number of irreducible representations of the group equals____.
The number of classes in a group
The characters of all operations in the same class.
Identical
Representations that are the combinations of irreducible representations.
Reducible Representations
A fundamental representation of a operator’s matrix that cannot be reduced further.
Irreducible Representations
What are the characters of the direct product of
(A1‘)x(A2”) ?

{1,1,-1,-1,-1,1}
Therefore, the direct product A2“
(Note: Anything direct producted with the symmetric irreducible representation is itself.)
What is direct product of
(E”)x(E’) irreducible representations
in the D3h point group?
(Note: Will involve a reduction to a sum of irreducible representations)

A1“+A2“+E”
What is direct product of
(A2‘)x(A1“)x(A2”) irreducible representations
in the D3h point group?

A1‘
Inspect the multiplication table for C3v, is this an Abelian group?

Yes
(Symmetric along the diagonal)

What is the order of D3h?

h=12
Total number of symmetry operations in the group
Group Order
Elements related by a similarity transform_____.
belong to the same class of elements
A, B, and X are elements of a group. What does the following operation represent?
X*A*X-1= B
Similarity Transform
(“ B is the similarity transform of A and X”)
“Mulliken Symbol”
Meaning: Designate symmetry with respect to σh
Primes (symmetric)
Double Primes (antisymmetric)
“Mulliken Symbol”
Meaning: Dimension 3
(Triply Degenerate)
T
“Mulliken Symbol”
Meaning: Dimension 2
(Doubly Degenerate)
E
“Mulliken Symbol”
Meaning: Dimension One
A or B
Every element of the group must have a reciprocal which is also an element of the group
A*(B*C)=(A*B)*C
Reciprocity
The result of an expression is independent of the grouping of the terms
A*(B*C)=(A*B)*C
Associativity
One element of the group must, when multiplied in either direction, leave the other elements unchanged.
Identity
The product of any two elements of the group or the square any elements, is a member of the group.
Closure
A collection of elements that obey the following:
Closure
Contains an Idenitiy
Associativity
Reciprocity
Group