LAWS OF CRYSTAL SYMMETRY

Every crystal shows various type of symmetry on crystals of the same substance possess
the same elements of symmetry when a crystal is rotated about its axis it shows the same
appearance it is known as crystal symmetry. Various types of symmetry in a crystal is known
as elements of symmetry there are three possible types of symmetries, center of symmetry,
axis of symmetry, plane of symmetry.
So let's talk about the center of symmetry, it is defined as the imaginary point within the
crystal such that any line passing through this point intercepts the opposite phases of the
crystal at equal distances in other words any land drawn through this point will intercept
surface at equal distance in both directions.
Plane of symmetry, it is an imaginary plane which divides the crystal into two equal
parts such that one is the mirror image of the other, for example regular cubic structure can
have nine plane of symmetry three planes of symmetry are parallel to the cube faces and six
diagonal planes are passing through opposite cubic edges these are parallel planes of symmetry
these are diagonal planes of symmetry.

Axis of symmetry is a line about which the crystal may be rotated such that it presents
the same appearance more than once during the complete evolution through 360 degrees. If a
crystal presents the same appearance n times in one complete revolution the axis is said to be n
fold symmetry, for example the cubic crystal of sodium chloride has 13 axis of symmetry of
which four are threefold three are fourfold and six are twofold fallen are the examples when
hexagonal structure is rotated through 60 degrees it shows the same appearance therefore 360
divided by 60 is equals to six-fold. Axis of symmetry similarly when cubic structure is rotated to
90 degrees it shows the same structure again so that is 360 divided by 90 is equals to fourfold
axis, similarly other axis of the cubic structures which shows 120 degrees rotation and 180
degrees rotations are threefold axis of symmetry and twofold axis of symmetry respectively