> We do this by looking at the rotational spectra of molecules
That's a much deeper rabbit hole than I was expecting!
I assumed the spectrum would be something simple, like the sum of the spectrum of the molecule at any angle, with the differences at each angle caused by maybe different vibration modes from the structure viewed at that angle. But no! Rotational energy is quantized, and it comes from the absorption/emission from transitions between these quantized levels!
It appears the technical humor in your first sentence was missed by some. :)
That's a much deeper rabbit hole than I was expecting!
I assumed the spectrum would be something simple, like the sum of the spectrum of the molecule at any angle, with the differences at each angle caused by maybe different vibration modes from the structure viewed at that angle. But no! Rotational energy is quantized, and it comes from the absorption/emission from transitions between these quantized levels!
It appears the technical humor in your first sentence was missed by some. :)