MS&E #3 Crystal Structures

24 flashcards · Physics · by Kristóf Nagy

1. Bragg's law

   Relationship between the wavelength of radiation, the angle of incidence, and the distance between reflecting planes in a crystal.

2. allotropy

   Existence of a chemical element in two or more different forms, each having a different crystal structure.

3. amorphous

   Without a clearly defined crystalline structure.

4. anisotropy

   Variation of physical properties with direction.

5. atomic packing factor (APF)

   Ratio of the volume of atoms to the volume of the unit cell in a crystal structure.

6. body-centered cubic (BCC)

   Crystal structure with atoms at the corners and center of a cube.

7. coordination number

   Number of nearest neighbors of a given atom in a crystal structure.

8. crystalline

   Composed of or containing crystals.

9. crystal structure

   Arrangement of atoms in a crystal lattice.

10. crystal system

    Classification of crystal structures based on their symmetry.

11. diffraction

    Spreading of waves, such as light or sound, as they pass through an opening or encounter an object.

12. face-centered cubic (FCC)

    Crystal structure with atoms at the corners and centers of each face of a cube.

13. grain

    Small crystal within a polycrystalline material.

14. grain boundary

    Interface between two adjacent grains in a polycrystalline material.

15. hexagonal close-packed (HCP)

    Crystal structure with a hexagonal arrangement of atoms.

16. isotropic

    Uniform in all directions.

17. lattice

    Regular repetitive arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystal.

18. lattice parameters

    Dimensions of the unit cell in a crystal structure.

19. Miller indices

    Set of numbers used to specify a plane or direction in a crystal structure.

20. noncrystalline

    Lacking a definite crystalline structure.

21. polycrystalline

    Composed of many small crystals.

22. polymorphism

    Ability of a material to exist in more than one crystalline form.

23. single crystal

    Homogeneous crystal extending throughout a macroscopic volume of material.

24. unit cell

    Smallest repeating unit in a crystal structure.