Assuming that all infrared vibrations are active, what is

themaximum number of infrared lines possible for sulfur dioxide,

SO2, which is a non - linear molecule?

The number of lines possible for SO2 is 3

Explanation:

The following Procedure should be followed when calculating the number of vibrational modes:-

Identify if the given molecule is either linear or non-linear Calculate the number of atoms present in your molecule Place the value of n in the formula and solve.

SO2 is a non-linear molecule because it contains a lone pair which causes the molecule to bent in shape hence, The mathematical formula for calculating the number of non-linear molecule in a infrared region is (3n - 6) here n is the number of atoms in molecule.

hence for Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), n will be 3

Therefore, The number of lines possible for SO2 is (3*3) - 6 = 3