The potential energy function for the force between two atoms in a diatomic molecule is approximate given by `U(r) = (a)/(r^(12)) - (b)/(r^(6))`, where `a` and `b` are constants and `r` is the distance between the atoms. If the dissociation energy of the molecule is `D = [U (r = oo)- U_("at equilibrium")],D` is

Explanation

To find the dissociation energy \( D \) of the diatomic molecule given the potential energy function \( U(r) = \frac{a}{r^{12}} - \frac{b}{r^{6}} \), we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Dissociation Energy
The dissociation energy \( D \) is defined as the difference between the potential energy at infinity and the potential energy at equilibrium:
\[ D = U(\infty) - U(r_{\text{eq}}) \]

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