ELEM ENT S AND CO M PO UNDS Crystal structure of

metals: lattice structure

body centered
cubic packing
crystal
face-centered
cubic close
packing
hexagonal close
packing
lattice
unit cell
Key words
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Metallic crystals
G Li ke all other crystals, metalli c crystals
are composed of unit cells, setsof
atoms, i ons, or moleculesi n orderly
three di mensi onal arrangementscalled
lattices.
1Hexagonal close packing
G When arranged i n a si ngle layer, the
most effi ci ent method of packi ng the
i onsi si n the form of a hexagon i n
whi ch each i on i ssurrounded by si x
other i ons.
G I n hexagonal close packing, a second
layer i sposi ti oned so that each i on i n
the second layer i si n contact wi th
three i onsi n the fi rst layer. The thi rd
layer i splaced di rectly above the fi rst,
and the fourth layer di rectly above the
second, etc. Thi sarrangement i s
someti mesrepresented asABABAB.
2 Face-centered cubic
close packing
G Here the thi rd layer doesnot si t
di rectly above ei ther the fi rst or
second layers. The pattern i srepeated
after three layers, gi vi ng ri se to an
ABCABCABC arrangement.
3 Body-centered cubic
packing
G Here the layersare formed from i ons
arranged i n squares. The second layer
i sposi ti oned so that each sphere i n
the second layer i si n contact wi th four
spheresi n the fi rst layer. The thi rd
layer si tsdi rectly above the fi rst layer,
gi vi ng ri se to an ABABAB arrangement.
2 Face-centered cubic close packing
1Hexagonal close packing
3 Body-centered cubic packing