Chapter 1

STRUCTURE OF SOLIDS
What is solid state physics?
• In Malay - Fizik keadaan pepejal.

• Def: The study of how atoms

arrange themselves into solids
and what properties these solids
have.

• By examining the arrangement of

the atoms, we can understand the
properties of materials such as:

• electrical conductivity

• optical properties

• elasticity.
 1. Crystal Structure
• Solid is divided into 2 main categories:

Atom tersusun dlm corak

yg tertib dan tetap
• 1) Solid Crystal (pepejal hablur)
Cth: Hablur logam
• 2) Solid Amorphous (pepejal amorfus)
• 3) Both of them (gabungan)
Atom tidak tersusun dlm
corak
yg tertib dan tetap

Cth: Kaca, getah, silica, plastik

• a) Solid Crystal (pepejal
hablur)
• Stable by the regular pattern of the atoms.

• Rigid

• Distict melting & boiling points.

• Ie. Metals, diamonds, copper

• b) Solid Amorphous
(pepejal amorfus)
• Easy to melt, break to form curved or
irregular shapes.

• Less rigid

• Ie. Glasses, polymers, gels, teflon

 Difference between
crystal and amorphous
Example of solid crystal:
Diamonds
Example: Glass cutter
Example of amorphous:
 Lattice (kekisi)
or Bravais Lattice
What is lattice?
General: A structure, such as a window, screen, made of or
containing such a framework.

Physics: A regular, periodic configuration of points, particles, or

objects throughout an area or a space, especially the
arrangement of ions or molecules in a crystalline solid.
Constructing a lattice
• a) Solid Crystal (pepejal hablur)
•

Crystal = Lattice + Basis (motif)

Lattice = set of points given by
 Primitive cell & non- primitive cell
**Not derived from something else; primary or basic.

Vc = a1 ⋅ a 2 × a3
Characteristics of a
primitive cell :
• Cell volume is minimal.
• Number of basis atoms
is minimal (one)

A non-primitive cell can be considered as a larger primitive cell with a

basis.
 Identify which one is
primitive and non- primitive?
QUIZ
 Primitive Lattice Cell

Wigner-Seitz cell
Primitive cell centered at a lattice point and
bounded by planes normal to and bisecting
the lines joining the lattice point to its
neighboring points.
Step by step on how to draw
WS
Illustration on how to draw
Wigner Seitz cell
 Quiz
Draw the WS cell for all lattice below
 A cell must fill all space when subject to all possible lattice
translations of the crystal.

A crystal with 1 atom in its primitive cell is called a Bravais

crystal.
A Wigner–Seitz cell is an example of another kind of Primitive
cell.
 Quiz

Which one is primitive ?

Which one is non- primitive?

Points to ponder
 UNIT CELL

the smallest group of atoms of a substance

that has the overall symmetry of a crystal of
that substance, and from which the entire
lattice can be built up by repetition in three
dimensions.