what is a crystal lattice?

Answer 1

a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. A crystal structure is composed of a unit cell, a set of atoms arranged in a particular way; which is periodically repeated in three dimensions on a lattice. The spacing between unit cells in various directions is called its lattice parameters. The symmetry properties of the crystal are embodied in its space group. A crystal's structure and symmetry play a role in determining many of its properties, such as cleavage, electronic band structure, and optical properties.


The crystal structure of a material is often discussed in terms of its unit cell. The unit cell is a spatial arrangement of atoms which is tiled in three-dimensional space to describe the crystal. The unit cell is given by its lattice parameters, the length of the cell edges and the angles between them, while the positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions (xi,yi,zi) measured from a lattice point.

For each crystal structure there is a conventional unit cell, which is the smallest unit that has the full symmetry of the crystal (see below). However, the conventional unit cell is not always the smallest possible choice. A primitive unit cell of a particular crystal structure is the smallest possible unit cell one can construct such that, when tiled, it completely fills space. This primitive unit cell does not, however, display all the symmetries inherent in the crystal. A Wigner-Seitz cell is a particular kind of primitive cell which has the same symmetry as the lattice.


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Answer 2

How the atoms in the crystals look and are formed.

Answer 3

A three dimensional, repeating pattern of atoms, molecules or ions

Answer 4

it is a 3D representation of the bond between atoms in a molecule like NaCl

Answer 5

molecular structure