CRYSTAL LATTICE

Crystal lattice:
A regular three dimensional arrangement
of points in space is called a crystal lattice.
Unit cell :
The unit cell is the smallest
portion of a crystal lattice which,
when repeated in different directions,
generates the entire lattice
Types of Unit Cells:

Unit cells can be broadly divided into two categories, i) Primitive and ii)
Centred unit cells.
(a) Primitive Unit Cells : When
constituent particles are present only
on the corner positions of a unit cell,
it is called as primitive unit cell.
Centred unit cells are of three
(b) Centred Unit Cells :
types:
When a unit cell contains one

or more constituent particles
(i) Body-Centred Unit Cells: A unit
present at positions other
cell contains one constituent particle
than corners in addition to
(atom, molecule or ion) at its body-
those at corners, it is called a
centre and eight particles are at its
centred unit cell
corners.

(ii) Face-Centred Unit Cells:
A unit cell contains one constituent
particle present at the centre of each
face, along with eight particles at its
corners.

(iii) End-Centred Unit Cells:
Number of atoms per unit cell :
Primitive Cubic Unit Cell
Each cubic unit cell has 8 atoms on
its corners.
CONTRIBUTION PER UNIT CELL =1/8
Body centered atom is 1
Each Corner atom contributes 1/8th
portion to the unit cell
Each face centered atom contributes
portion to the unit cell
Body centered atom is 1

Each atom present at the face-center

is shared between two adjacent unit
cells and only a of each atom
belongs to a unit cell.
Close packing structures:
In solids, the constituent particles are
closely packed, leaving the minimum
vacant space
coordination number
The number of nearest neighbours of
a particle is called its coordination
number
(a ) Close Packing in One Dimension:
There is only one way of arranging spheres in a one dimensional close
packed structure, that is to arrange them in a row and touching each
other.

The number of nearest neighbours of a particle is called its

coordination number.
Thus, in one dimensional close packed arrangement, the
coordination number is 2.
(b) Close Packing in Two Dimensions:
Two dimensional close packed
structure can be generated two
different ways.
(a) Square close packing: The second
row may be placed in contact with
the first one such that the
spheres of the second row are exactly
above those of the first row.
In this arrangement, each sphere is
in contact with four of its neighbours.
Thus, the two dimensional
coordination
(b) Hexagonal number
close ispacking:
4. Also, if The
the
centres
second row of maythese 4 immediate
be placed above the
neighbouring
first one in in spheres are joined,
the depressions a
of the
square is formed.
first row. If theHence this packing
arrangement of
is called square
spheres in the close packing.
first row is called A
type, the one in the second row is
different and may be called B type.
This arrangement is of ABAB type.

In this arrangement, each sphere is in

contact with six of its neighbours and
 Voids:
Tetrahedral void:
A tetrahedron is formed when the
centres of these four spheres are
joined.
Octahedral void:
Voids are surrounded by six spheres and are
called octahedral voids.
Triangular void: In the
hexagonal close packing 2-
dimentional structure there
are some voids (empty
spaces). These are
triangular in shape so, these
voids are called triangular
voids.
Close Packing in Three
Dimensions
All real structures are three
dimensional structures that are
obtained by stacking two dimensional
layers one above the other in a
square close-packed and hexagonal
close-packed manner. It can be
categorized into two type