Scribd
Upload
144 views

Laboratory Module - Crystal Structures

This document provides instructions for an experiment involving building crystal structure models using polystyrene balls and toothpicks. Students are asked to construct simple cubic cell (SCC), face centered cubic (FCC), and body centered cubic (BCC) models and make measurements to calculate properties like packing fraction and density. They are also asked to derive equations for these properties and compare their results to known values from textbooks. The document guides students through calculating properties for each crystal structure and iron in particular. It concludes by asking students to determine the coordination number of each structure type by examining their models.

Uploaded by

Na
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
144 views

Laboratory Module - Crystal Structures

This document provides instructions for an experiment involving building crystal structure models using polystyrene balls and toothpicks. Students are asked to construct simple cubic cell (SCC), face centered cubic (FCC), and body centered cubic (BCC) models and make measurements to calculate properties like packing fraction and density. They are also asked to derive equations for these properties and compare their results to known values from textbooks. The document guides students through calculating properties for each crystal structure and iron in particular. It concludes by asking students to determine the coordination number of each structure type by examining their models.

Uploaded by

Na
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Swinburne College Engineering Swinburne University of Technology

Experiments

For
LMAPR

Materials and Processes

Experiment E1

Building Crystal Models

for

The first year of Engineering

A.S.Blicblau (compiler)
Version: 2014-05-02

Experiments for L0046MAPR Materials and Processes,


Swinburne College Engineering Swinburne University of Technology

EXPERIMENT LMAPR-E1

Building Crystal Models of Solid Engineering materials

Use Polystyrene balls and toothpicks to build


a SCC (simple cubic cell),
FCC (face centered cubic cell), and
a BCC (body centered cubic cell).

1. Devise your own method to measure the radius of a Polystyrene ball.

Radius = ____________

2. Use a ruler to measure the lattice parameter (edge length) of each of the cells.

Cell Type Measured edge length (average of 6 edges of the cube)


SCC
BCC
FCC

3. Calculate the predicted edge length (based in the radius r of the Polystyrene
balls), and compare it to the measured edge length.

Formula for the edge length as a function of radius


Cell Type Formula for edge length as a function of radius
SCC
BCC
FCC

4. Compare your calculations and measurements

Cell Type Predicted edge length from equation Measured edge length

Experiments for L0046MAPR Materials and Processes,


Swinburne College Engineering Swinburne University of Technology

5. Use your measurements to calculate the packing factor for each of the cells you
built.
The packing fraction is the volume of space in the cell occupied by the atoms in
the cell, divided by the total volume of the unit cell.

Compare your answers to the values reported in your text.


4
number of atoms r 3
volume of atoms in a unit cell 3
pf = 3
volume of unit cell ao

Cell Type Packing Fraction


SCC
BCC
FCC

6. Derive an equation for the packing factor for each of the crystal structures, by
substituting in the appropriate relationship between lattice parameter, ao, and r
into the expression in problem 5.

Formula you derived for a SCC ______________________

Formula you derived for a FCC ______________________

Formula you derived for a BCC ______________________

7. How do the values of packing factor that you found using the measured r and
ao values compare to those you calculated?
Cell Type Packing factor based on your Text book packing factor
measurements
SCC
BCC
FCC

Experiments for L0046MAPR Materials and Processes,


Swinburne College Engineering Swinburne University of Technology

8. The density of a crystal is similar to the packing fraction. Its the mass of the
atoms in the cell, divided by the cell volume.
Derive the formula for the density of a crystal for each of the three crystal types,
as a function of radius, and compare this density from the text book or handout.
Youll need to use the relationship between r and ao for each cell type.
Remember, the atomic weight is the mass of a mole of atoms, but each cell only
contains only between 1 and 4 atoms.
That means you will have to take into account Avogadros number NA into
account to convert the atomic weight from grams per mole to grams per atom.

Cell Type Formula derived for Text Book Values of


density based on your density formulae
measurements
SCC
BCC
FCC

9. Calculate the density of an iron crystal, assuming it is in each of the three


cubic crystal structures. The radius of an iron atom at room temperature is
approximately 1.241 x 10-8cm

Crystal Structure Predicted density Calculated density

SCC

FCC

BCC

What is the density of iron reported in your text, or from the periodic
table? _______

Based on the density, what is the crystal structure of iron?

_____________________

What is the crystal structure of iron at room temperature reported on the front
page of the textbook?

_______________

Experiments for L0046MAPR Materials and Processes,


Swinburne College Engineering Swinburne University of Technology

10. Coordination number is the number of atoms with which a central atom is
in direct contact.

Use your models to figure out (don't just look it up)


the coordination number for each of the three crystal shapes.
(You may need to use some additional Polystyrene balls to help you
visualize an extended matrix.)

Crystal Shape Coordination


Number

SCC

FCC

BCC

Experiments for L0046MAPR Materials and Processes,

You might also like