Exploring the Coordination Number: Understanding Nearest Neighbor Arrangements in Crystal Structures

The cubic closed packed unit cell and face-center cubic cell have what coordination number?

The coordination number refers to the number of nearest neighboring atoms or ions surrounding a particular atom or ion within a crystal structure

The coordination number refers to the number of nearest neighboring atoms or ions surrounding a particular atom or ion within a crystal structure.

For the cubic closed packed (CCP) unit cell, also known as the face-centered cubic (FCC) cell, the coordination number is 12. This means that each atom in the CCP/FCC structure is surrounded by 12 nearest neighboring atoms.

To visualize this, imagine an atom at the center of the unit cell. It is in contact with all eight corner atoms of the unit cell, and each of these corner atoms is shared with eight adjacent unit cells, adding up to 8 x 1/8 = 1 atom per corner. Additionally, there is an atom at the center of each face of the unit cell, and each of these face atoms is shared with two adjacent unit cells, contributing 6 x 1/2 = 3 atoms per face. Altogether, the center atom is surrounded by 12 nearest neighbors, giving it a coordination number of 12.

It is important to note that the coordination number can vary depending on the crystal structure. For example, in a simple cubic lattice, the coordination number is 6, as each atom is in contact with six neighboring atoms. However, for CCP/FCC structures, including the unit cell itself, the coordination number is 12 due to the close packing arrangement.

More Answers:

Understanding the Complex Hexagonal Close-Packed (HCP) Structure: A Less Common yet Important Arrangement in Metals
Understanding the Coordination Number of the Primitive Cubic Structure: Explained by a Science Expert
Understanding the Coordination Number and Structure of Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) Lattices in Materials Science

Error 403 The request cannot be completed because you have exceeded your quota. : quotaExceeded

Share:

Recent Posts

Mathematics in Cancer Treatment

How Mathematics is Transforming Cancer Treatment Mathematics plays an increasingly vital role in the fight against cancer mesothelioma. From optimizing drug delivery systems to personalizing

Read More »