Final answer:
The characteristic IR peaks for 3-nitrobenzoic acid include a broad peak for the O-H stretch of the carboxylic acid group, a sharp peak for the C=O stretch, two strong peaks for the nitro group's asymmetric and symmetric stretches, along with additional peaks for aromatic C-H bends and C-N stretching vibrations.
Step-by-step explanation:
IR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for identifying functional groups within an organic molecule. In the case of 3-nitrobenzoic acid, one would expect to find several key IR peaks corresponding to different functional groups. The characteristic absorption bands for 3-nitrobenzoic acid typically include a strong, broad peak around 2500-3300 cm-1 due to the O-H stretch of the carboxylic acid group. Additionally, a sharp peak around 1700 cm-1 is indicative of the C=O stretch from the carboxylic acid.
Nitro groups generally show two strong peaks, one for asymmetric stretch around 1520-1550 cm-1 and another for symmetric stretch around 1350-1380 cm-1. Aromatic C-H bends usually appear in the range of 700-900 cm-1, and the region around 1000-1300 cm-1 may show C-N stretching vibrations from the nitro group. These are the typical IR peaks for 3-nitrobenzoic acid, but the exact positions may vary slightly depending on sample conditions and instrumentation.