What is a crystal structure?
Many solids and some crystalline liquids have a regular, recurrent three -dimensional arrangement of atoms known as a crystal structure or crystalline grilles. On the other hand, the amorphous solid is a type of solid material such as glass that lacks such a long recurring structure. Many physical, optical and electrical properties of crystalline solids or liquids are closely related to the crystal structure. Recurrent units of crystalline structure, which consist of small boxes or other three -dimensional shapes, are referred to as "cells". Many of these cells are grouped into a recurring, arranged structure to create a general structure.
The crystal structure of crystalline material can affect many of the overall properties of this material. For example, it is one of the main defining factors affecting the optical properties of the material. Crystal structure also significantly affects the reactivity of crystalline material because it determines ArrangmenT reactive atoms at the outer edges and surfaces of crystalline solids or liquids. Other important material features, including the electrical and magnetic properties of some materials, are also determined mainly by a crystal structure.
mineralog, crystallographers, chemists and physicists often study crystalline materials in laboratory environments. Some simple aspects of crystal structures can be determined by simple geometric measurements, but different methods based on X -rays, neutrons, electrons or other particles allow much easier and more accurate structure to determine. Some scientists only deal with the determination of the structure of the given crystalline material, while others are more interested in determining how this structure is associated with the other material properties. Other scientists are interested in finding useful applications different materials based on their structuresAnd some even try to synthesize new crystalline solids and liquids based on the expected properties of their desired structures.
It should be noted that although theoretical crystalline materials are composed of a perfect and consistent series of repeated units, real crystals tend to have shortcomings. In most cases, these shortcomings are simply irregularities in an otherwise regular crystal structure. In some cases, this occurs when one atom occupies another place in a given crystal structure than it would normally. Different properties of this atom may have a significant impact on how the crystal structural units are arranged around it. Similarly, defects or irregularities of real crystals can have a significant impact on the overall properties of crystalline material.