Mechanical harmonicity

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-007109",
  "term": "Mechanical harmonicity",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "The idealized behavior of a molecular vibration where the restoring force is directly proportional to the displacement from equilibrium, resulting in a parabolic potential energy curve. In this theoretical model, vibrational energy levels are equally spaced. Real molecules exhibit mechanical anharmonicity, deviating from this ideal harmonic behavior.",
  "synonyms": [
    "harmonicity"
  ],
  "subject": "Analytical Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "electrical harmonicity",
    "vibrational potential energy"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2021, 93, 647. 'Glossary of methods and terms used in analytical spectroscopy (IUPAC Recommendations 2019)' on page 754 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0203)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/mechanical-harmonicity/"
}