Symmetry–adapted coordinates may be created by applying a projection operator to a set of internal coordinates. The projection operator is constructed with the aid of the character table of the molecular point group. For example, the four (un–normalized) C–H stretching coordinates of the molecule ethene are given by
where  are the internal coordinates for stretching of each of the four C–H bonds.
Illustrations of symmetry–adapted coordinates for most small molecules can be found in Nakamoto.