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A diatomic molecule is formed by two atoms which may be treated as mass points m, and m₂ joined by a massless rod of length r. Then the moment of inertia of molecule about an axis passing through centre of mass and perpendicular to the rod is :?
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A diatomic molecule is formed by two atoms which may be treated as mas...
Understanding the Moment of Inertia of a Diatomic Molecule
The moment of inertia (I) quantifies an object's resistance to angular acceleration about a given axis. For a diatomic molecule made of two atoms, the calculation involves the masses of the atoms and their separation.

Parameters Involved
- **Atoms**: The two atoms are designated as m₁ and m₂.
- **Distance**: The distance between the two atoms is r, and the center of mass (CM) is located at a point that divides the distance r in proportion to the masses.

Center of Mass Calculation
The center of mass (CM) of the diatomic molecule can be found using the formula:
\[
\text{CM} = \frac{m_1 \cdot r_1 + m_2 \cdot r_2}{m_1 + m_2}
\]
Where \( r_1 \) and \( r_2 \) are the distances of m₁ and m₂ from the center of mass, determined by:
\[
r_1 = \frac{m_2}{m_1 + m_2} \cdot r
\]
\[
r_2 = \frac{m_1}{m_1 + m_2} \cdot r
\]

Moment of Inertia Calculation
For an axis passing through the center of mass and perpendicular to the rod, the moment of inertia is given by:
\[
I = m_1 \cdot r_1^2 + m_2 \cdot r_2^2
\]
Substituting the values of \( r_1 \) and \( r_2 \):
\[
I = m_1 \left(\frac{m_2}{m_1 + m_2} \cdot r\right)^2 + m_2 \left(\frac{m_1}{m_1 + m_2} \cdot r\right)^2
\]
This simplifies to:
\[
I = \frac{m_1 m_2 r^2}{(m_1 + m_2)}
\]
Thus, the moment of inertia of the diatomic molecule about the center of mass is:

Final Expression
\[
I = \frac{m_1 m_2 r^2}{(m_1 + m_2)}
\]
This expression highlights how the mass distribution around the center of mass affects the rotational inertia of the molecule.
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A diatomic molecule is formed by two atoms which may be treated as mass points m, and m₂ joined by a massless rod of length r. Then the moment of inertia of molecule about an axis passing through centre of mass and perpendicular to the rod is :?
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