BRAINCAKENuclear Magnetic Resonance
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most powerful technique for finding the structure of an organic molecule. It shows the different environments of particular atoms in the molecule.
NMR works with nuclei that have a property called nuclear spin. At A level the two you need are 1H (protons) and 13C. The common isotope 12C has no spin, so it gives no NMR signal.
A spinning nucleus behaves like a tiny magnet. When the sample is placed in a strong external magnetic field, the nuclei line up either with the field (lower energy) or against it (higher energy). The sample is then exposed to radio frequency radiation. Nuclei absorb energy of exactly the right frequency and flip to the higher energy state: this is resonance.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
More in NMR Spectroscopy
- Chemical Shift
- The TMS Standard
- Deuterated Solvents
- 13C NMR Spectroscopy
- Interpreting 13C NMR Spectra
- 1H NMR Spectroscopy
- Relative Peak Areas
- Spin-Spin Splitting
All 12 lessons in NMR Spectroscopy · All OCR A-level Organic Chemistry topics