Lecture No.

Instructor: Dr Jahan Zaib Arshad

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 Solid State Chemistry
Crystalline Solids
Crystalline solids consist of particles that are arranged in a three-
dimensional manner. The intermolecular forces between them are
equal. They are anisotropic and have a well-defined melting point as
well. They are referred to as the true solids. Examples of crystalline
solids are diamond, wood etc.

Amorphous Solids
Amorphous refers to being shapeless. Amorphous solids have an
irregular arrangement of solid particles. The intermolecular forces
between them are not equal. Also, the distance between every two
particles tends to vary. They do not possess a defined geometric shape.
Amorphous solids are isotropic. Examples of amorphous solids include
glass, graphite etc.
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 Crystal Lattice
Crystal Lattice
Crystal lattice is the depiction of three dimensional arrangements of
constituent particles (atoms, molecules, ions) of crystalline solids as
points. Or the geometric arrangement of constituent particles of
crystalline solids as point in space is called crystal lattice.

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 Crystal Lattice
Characteristics of Crystal Lattice
In a crystal lattice, each atom, molecule or ions (constituent particle)
is represented by a single point.
These points are called lattice site or lattice point.
Lattice sites or points are together joined by a straight line in a crystal
lattice.
When we connect these straight lines we can get a three-dimensional
view of the structure. This 3D arrangement is called Crystal Lattice also
known as Bravais Lattices.

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 Unit Cell and its Types
Unit Cell
Unit Cell is the smallest part (portion) of a crystal lattice. It is the
simplest repeating unit in a crystal structure.
The entire lattice is generated by the repetition of the unit cell in
different directions.

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 Unit Cell and its Types
Types of Unit Cell
There are two types of unit cells – Primitive and Centred Unit Cells.

1. Primitive Unit Cells: When particles in unit cell are present only at the
corners, it is called the primitive unit cell.

2. Centred Unit Cells: When particles are present at other positions in

addition to those at corners in a unit cell, it is called a Centred Unit Cell.

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 Unit Cell and its Types
There are three types of Centred Unit Cell

(a) Body Centred Unit Cells: If one constituent particle lies at the centre
of the body of a unit cell in addition to the particles lying at the
corners, it is called Body-Centred Unit Cell.

(b) Face-Centred Unit Cells: If one constituent particle lies at the centre
of each face besides the particles lying at the corner, it is known as Face-
Centred Unit Cells.

(c) End-Centred Unit Cell: If one constituent particle lies at the centre of
any two opposite faces besides the particles lying at the corners, it is
known as End-Centred Unit Cell. It is also known as base-centred unit
cell.
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CALCULATION OF NUMBER OF PARTICLES PER UNIT CELL OF A CUBIC
CRYSTAL SYSTEM:-
1) An atom at the corner is shared by eight unit cells so its contribution
is = 1x(1/8)=1/8

2) An atom on the face is shared between two unit cells so its

contribution is =1x(1/2)=1/2

3) An atom present at centre of unit cell is not shared by any unit cell
so it contribution is = 1

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2. Calculation of number of atoms per unit cell:-
Simple [primitive] unit cell:- It has only Eight atom present at corner
each have contribution 1/8 so 8 x 1/8 = 1 atom.

2. In body centred unit cell (BCC):- 

8 atom on corner = 1/8 x 8 = 1 atom
1 atom at the centre = 1 x 1 = 1
So total no. of atoms = 1 + 1 = 2 atoms.

3. In face centred unit cell [FCC]:-

Contribution by atoms at corner = 1/8 x 8 = 1
Contribution by atoms at faces = 1/2 x 6 = 3
So total atoms = 3 + 1 = 4 atoms.

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 Crystal System and Bravais Lattice
Crystal system is a method of classifying crystalline substances on
the basis of their unit cell.

There are seven unique crystal systems.

1. Cubic
2. Rhombohedral
3. Hexagonal
4. Tetragonal
5. Orthorhombic
6. Monoclinic
7. Triclinic

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 Crystal System and Bravais Lattice
Bravais Lattice refers to the 14 different 3-dimensional
configurations into which atoms can be arranged in crystals. The
smallest group of symmetrically aligned atoms which can be repeated in
an array to make up the entire crystal is called a unit cell.

A Bravais lattice is an array of discrete points with an arrangement and

orientation that look exactly the same from any of the discrete points,
that is the lattice points are indistinguishable from one another.

Thus, a Bravais lattice can refer to one of the 14 different types of unit
cells that a crystal structure can be made up of. These lattices
are named after the French physicist Auguste Bravais.

Note that the letters a, b, and c have been used to denote the
dimensions of the unit cells whereas the letters 𝛂, 𝞫, and 𝝲 denote the
corresponding angles in the unit cells. 17
 Crystal System and Bravais Lattice

Examples: 
Polonium has a simple cubic structure,
iron has a body-centered cubic structure,
and copper has a face-centered cubic structure.
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 Crystal System and Bravais Lattice

simple base centered body-centered face-centered

Examples of Orthorhombic Systems:
Rhombic Sulphur has a simple orthorhombic structure
Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSO4.7H2O) is made up of a base centred
orthorhombic structure.
Potassium Nitrate has a structure which is body-centered orthorhombic.
An example of a substance with a face-centered orthorhombic structure is barium
sulfate.
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 Crystal System and Bravais Lattice

simple body-centered
Examples of tetragonal Bravais lattices are – stannic oxide (simple
tetragonal) and titanium dioxide (body-centered tetragonal)

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 Crystal System and Bravais Lattice

simple base centered

Monoclinic sulphur (simple monoclinic) and sodium

sulfate decahydrate (base centered monoclinic)

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 Crystal System and Bravais Lattice

simple
Such unit cells are found in the structure of potassium dichromate
(Chemical formula K2Cr2O7).

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 Crystal System and Bravais Lattice

simple

Calcite and sodium nitrate are made up of simple rhombohedral unit

cells.

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Crystal System and Bravais Lattice

simple
Zinc oxide and beryllium oxide are made up of simple
hexagonal unit cells.
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Relationship b/w Edge Length (a) and Radius (r)

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Animation of SCC

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Relationship b/w Edge Length (a) and Radius (r)

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Animation of FCC

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Relationship b/w Edge Length (a) and Radius (r)

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Animation of BCC

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Relationship b/w Edge Length (a) and Radius (r)

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Animation of ECC

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