Animation of a Trifluoroiodomethane Molecule Responding to Laser Light (IMAGE)

DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Animation of a Trifluoroiodomethane Molecule Responding to Laser Light

Caption

Animation of a trifluoroiodomethane molecule (carbon shown in black, fluoride in cyan, iodine in magenta) responding to laser light. The light flash stretches the bond between the carbon and iodine atoms to a point, where the bond can either break (at right) or stay intact (at left). Since molecules are quantum systems, they actually exist in both states at once.

Credit

Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

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