Carl McBride: Added an internal link.

2008-07-30T11:00:33Z

Added an internal link.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:00, 30 July 2008
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	numbers (e.g. the Eulerian angles).		numbers (e.g. the Eulerian angles).

	Often, ''effective'' degrees of freedom must be considered. For example, diatomic molecules would need 6 degrees of freedom, 3 for each atom (since these two can be anywhere in the system). However, vibrations are ''frozen'' at temperatures below thousands of K, and only 5 effective degrees of freedom are needed. E.g.: three to specify the location of the centre-of-mass, and two angles to specify rotation. (Rotations may also be ''frozen'', but this happens at low temperatures.)		Often, ''effective'' degrees of freedom must be considered. For example, diatomic molecules would need 6 degrees of freedom, 3 for each atom (since these two can be anywhere in the system). However, vibrations are ''frozen'' at temperatures below thousands of K, and only 5 effective degrees of freedom are needed. E.g.: three to specify the location of the centre-of-mass, and two angles to specify rotation. (Rotations may also be ''frozen'', but this happens at low [[temperature \|temperatures]].)


	== References ==		== References ==
	#[http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521009669 Benjamin Widom "Statistical Mechanics, A Concise Introduction for Chemists" (2002) ISBN 0521009669]		#[http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521009669 Benjamin Widom "Statistical Mechanics, A Concise Introduction for Chemists" (2002) ISBN 0521009669]


	[[category: classical mechanics]]		[[category: classical mechanics]]

Dduque: New page: In classical mechanics, a '''degree of freedom''' is each of the ''generalized'' coordinates that specify a given configuration of a system. For example, a position in space is specified b...

2008-05-09T12:56:38Z

New page: In classical mechanics, a '''degree of freedom''' is each of the ''generalized'' coordinates that specify a given configuration of a system. For example, a position in space is specified b...

New page

In classical mechanics, a '''degree of freedom''' is each of the ''generalized'' coordinates that specify a given configuration of a system. For example, a position in space is specified by three numbers (e.g. the Cartesion coordinates), hence three degrees of freedom are needed for translation. An orientation would be specified by two
numbers (e.g. the Eulerian angles).

Often, ''effective'' degrees of freedom must be considered. For example, diatomic molecules would need 6 degrees of freedom, 3 for each atom (since these two can be anywhere in the system). However, vibrations are ''frozen'' at temperatures below thousands of K, and only 5 effective degrees of freedom are needed. E.g.: three to specify the location of the centre-of-mass, and two angles to specify rotation. (Rotations may also be ''frozen'', but this happens at low temperatures.)

== References ==
#[http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521009669 Benjamin Widom "Statistical Mechanics, A Concise Introduction for Chemists" (2002) ISBN 0521009669]

[[category: classical mechanics]]

Degree of freedom - Revision history

Carl McBride: Added an internal link.

Dduque: New page: In classical mechanics, a '''degree of freedom''' is each of the ''generalized'' coordinates that specify a given configuration of a system. For example, a position in space is specified b...