Symmetry Operations

• Introduction
• Identity
• Reflection
• Inversion
• Proper Rotation
• Improper Rotation

Example Molecules

• Water
• Benzene
• Ethane (staggered)
• Methane

Going Further

• Point groups
• Applications

This project supported by
NSF-DUE #0536710

Ethane (D_3d)

Reflection Planes

Inversion Center

Proper Rotation Axes

Improper Rotation Axis

Staggered ethane belongs to the D_3d point group.