Virtual Activty

• The energy landscape (Java 1.5) [Opens in a separate window. Please read through all content below the simulation before returning to the following text.]

This activity illustrates that the energy landscape is established by the structure of the system. For a chemical system, it is established by the molecular structure. For instance, if we replace the chlorines of the molecule shown on the previous page with flourines, we alter the energy landscape for the cis-trans isomerization. The van der Waals ratio (i.e. size) of Flourine is less than that of Chlorine. How do you think the energy landscape changes when you replace Cl with F?