Methane Symmetry Operations - Figure 6

Figure 6.   (a) An arbitrary instantaneous shape of the methane molecule, oriented so that the laboratory-fixed and molecule-fixed axis systems coincide; (b) rotation of this initial configuration through an angle +2π/3 about the (XYZ) = (111) direction, as required for the laboratory-fixed rotation C₃(111); (c) rotation of the initial configuration through an angle +4π/3 about the (XYZ) = 111) direction, as required for the laboratory-fixed rotation C₃²(111). Figures (6b) and (6c) can be compared with Figure (3c) illustrating the effect of the point group rotation C₃(111).