Crystal Morphology

Remember:
Space groups for atom symmetry
Point groups for crystal face symmetry

Crystal Faces = limiting surfaces of growth

Depends in part on shape of building units & physical cond.
(T, P, matrix, nature & flow direction of solutions, etc.)
 Crystal
Morphology

Observation:
The frequency with
which a given face in a
crystal is observed is
proportional to the
density of lattice nodes
along that plane
 Crystal Morphology
Observation:
The frequency with
which a given face in
a crystal is observed
is proportional to the
density of lattice
nodes along that
plane
 Crystal Morphology
Because faces have direct relationship to the
internal structure, they must have a direct and
consistent angular relationship to each other
 Crystal Morphology
Nicholas Steno (1669): Law of Constancy of
Interfacial Angles

120o 120o 120o

Quartz
120o 120o

120o 120o
 Crystal Morphology
Diff planes have diff atomic environments
 Crystal Morphology
Crystal symmetry conforms to 32 point groups 32 crystal classes
in 6 crystal systems
Crystal faces act just as our homework: symmetry about the center
of the crystal so the point groups and the crystal classes are the same

Crystal System No Center Center

Triclinic 1 1
Monoclinic 2, 2 (= m) 2/m
Orthorhombic 222, 2mm 2/m 2/m 2/m
Tetragonal 4, 4, 422, 4mm, 42m 4/m, 4/m 2/m 2/m
Hexagonal 3, 32, 3m 3, 3 2/m
6, 6, 622, 6mm, 62m 6/m, 6/m 2/m 2/m
Isometric 23, 432, 43m 2/m 3, 4/m 3 2/m
 Crystal Morphology
Crystal Axes: generally taken as parallel to the edges
(intersections) of prominent crystal faces

c
 Crystal Morphology
Crystal Axes: generally taken as parallel to the edges
(intersections) of prominent crystal faces
The more faces the better prism faces & quartz c-axis, halite
cube, etc.
We must also keep symmetry in mind: c = 6-fold in hexagonal
With x-ray crystallography we can determine the internal structure
and the unit cell directly and accurately
The crystallographic axes determined by XRD and by the face
method nearly always coincide
This is not coincidence!!
 Crystal Morphology
How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?
 Crystal Morphology
How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?
Remember, face sizes may vary, but angles can't

Note: interfacial
120o 120o 120o
angle = the angle
between the faces 120o
120o
measured like this
120o 120o
 Crystal Morphology
How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?
Remember, face sizes may vary, but angles can't
Thus it's the orientation & angles that are the best source
of our indexing

Miller Index is the accepted indexing method

It uses the relative intercepts of the face in question with
the crystal axes
 Crystal Morphology
Given the following crystal:

2-D view
b looking down c

a
b
a

c
 Crystal Morphology
Given the following crystal:

b How reference faces?

a
a face?
b face?
-a and -b faces?
 Crystal Morphology
Suppose we get another crystal of the same mineral with
2 other sets of faces:
b
How do we reference them?
w
x
y

b a
a z
Miller Index uses the relative intercepts of the faces with
the axes
Pick a reference face that intersects both axes
Which one?
b b

w
x
x
y

a a
z
Which one?
Either x or y. The choice is arbitrary. Just pick one.
Suppose we pick x

b b

w
x
x
y

a a
z
MI process is very structured (cook book)
a b c
unknown face (y) 1 1
reference face (x) 2 1 1
b

invert 2 1 1
1 1

clear of fractions 2 1 0
x
Miller index of
y face y using x as
(2 1 0) the a-b reference face
a
What is the Miller Index of the reference face?
a b c
unknown face (x) 1 1
reference face (x) 1 1 1
b

invert 1 1 1
1 1

clear of fractions 1 1 0
x
(1 1 0)
Miller index of
y the reference face
(2 1 0) is always 1 - 1
a
What if we pick y as the reference. What is the MI of x?
a b c
unknown face (x) 2 1
reference face (y) 1 1 1
b

invert 1 1 1
2 1

clear of fractions 1 2 0
x
(1 2 0)
Miller index of
y the reference face
(1 1 0) is always 1 - 1
a
 Which choice is correct?

1) x = (1 1 0)
b
y = (2 1 0)
2) x = (1 2 0)
y = (1 1 0)
x
The choice is arbitrary
y
What is the difference?
a
What is the difference?

b unit cell unit cell

b shape if b shape if
y = (1 1 0) x = (1 1 0)

a a
x x

b
y y

a a

axial ratio = a/b = 0.80 axial ratio = a/b = 1.60

The technique above requires that we graph each face
A simpler (?) way is to use trigonometry

Measure the b
b interfacial angles

w
x
148o ? x
y ?
interfacial angles

141o y
a
a
z
The technique above requires that we graph each face
A simpler (?) way is to use trigonometry

b
b

w tan 39 = a/b = 0.801

x tan 58 = a/b = 1.600
58o
148o x
y
39o

141o y
a
a
z
What are the Miller Indices of all the faces if we choose x
as the reference?
Face Z?

b
w
(1 1 0)
(2 1 0)

a
z
The Miller Indices of face z using x as the reference

a b c
unknown face (z) 1
reference face (x) 1 1 1

b invert 1 1 1
1
w
(1 1 0)
(2 1 0)
clear of fractions 1 0 0
(1 0 0) Miller index of
a
z face z using x (or
any face) as the
reference face
b Can you index the rest?

(1 1 0)
(2 1 0)

(1 0 0)
a
 b

(0 1 0)
(1 1 0) (1 1 0)
(2 1 0) (2 1 0)

(1 0 0)
(1 0 0) a

(2 1 0) (2 1 0)

(1 1 0) (1 1 0)
(0 1 0)
 3-D Miller Indices (an unusually complex example)
a b c
c
unknown face (XYZ) 2
reference face (ABC) 1 4 3
C
invert 1 4 3
Z
2

clear of fractions (1 4 3)
O
A Miller index of
X Y face XYZ using
B
ABC as the
reference face
a b
Demonstrate MI on cardboard cube model
We can get the a:b:c axial ratios from the chosen (111) face
We can also determine the true unit cell by XRD and of course
determine the a:b:c axial ratios from it
If the unit face is correctly selected, the ratios should be the
same
If not, will be off by some multiple - i.e. picked (211) and
called it (111)
Best to change it
Mineralogy texts listed axial ratios long before XRD
We had to change some after XRD developed
 Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces
braces indicate a form {210}
b
(0 1)
(1 1) (1 1)
(2 1) (2 1)

(1 0)
(1 0) a

(2 1) (2 1)
(1 1) (1 1)
(0 1)
Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces
braces indicate a form {210}
Multiplicity of a form depends on symmetry
{100} in monoclinic, orthorhombic,
tetragonal, isometric
 Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces
braces indicate a form {210}
F. 2.36 in your text (p. 49-52)
pinacoid prism pyramid dipryamid

related by a mirror related by n-fold

or a 2-fold axis axis or mirrors
Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces
braces indicate a form {210}

Quartz = 2 forms:
Hexagonal prism (m = 6)
Hexagonal dipyramid (m = 12)
Isometric forms include

Cube Octahedron

_
111 111

__ _
111 111

Dodecahedron
101 011

_
110 110

_ _
101 011
Octahedron to Cube to
Dodecahedron

Click on image to run animation

All three combined:
001

011
_ 101
111
111

_
110 010
100 110

__
111 _
111 _
_ 011
101
 Zone
Any group of faces || a common axis
Use of h k l as variables for a, b, c
intercepts
(h k 0) = [001]
If the MIs of 2 non-parallel faces are
added, the result = MI of a face between
them & in the same zone
BUT doesn't say which face

(010)
(110)? Which??

(110)?

(100)
BUT doesn't say which face

(010)
(110)

(210)
(010)
(110)? Which??
(100)
(110)?
(010)
(120)
(100)
(110)
Either is OK
(100)