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Chem Lab Experiment 7

The crystal structure of metals, whether body-centered cubic (BCC) or face-centered cubic (FCC), determines their mechanical properties. FCC metals tend to be very ductile due to mismatches between ordered atomic arrays at grain boundaries. In ionic solids, the ratio of cations to anions corresponds to the compound's stoichiometry. Larger cations have higher coordination numbers and occupy different interstitial holes in the anion lattice depending on their size. In ionic lattices, cations reside in holes between closely packed anions to maximize electrostatic attraction between opposite charges, with anions usually surrounding cations just large enough to separate them.

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Markdavid Funtalva
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34 views

Chem Lab Experiment 7

The crystal structure of metals, whether body-centered cubic (BCC) or face-centered cubic (FCC), determines their mechanical properties. FCC metals tend to be very ductile due to mismatches between ordered atomic arrays at grain boundaries. In ionic solids, the ratio of cations to anions corresponds to the compound's stoichiometry. Larger cations have higher coordination numbers and occupy different interstitial holes in the anion lattice depending on their size. In ionic lattices, cations reside in holes between closely packed anions to maximize electrostatic attraction between opposite charges, with anions usually surrounding cations just large enough to separate them.

Uploaded by

Markdavid Funtalva
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1. How is the type crystal structure (FCC, BCC etc.

) related to the mechanical properties of


a metal?
BCC – Body Centred Cubic – and FCC – Face Centred Cubic – are descriptions of the
arrangement of atoms in crystal structures. Most metal and alloys are crystalline, which means
that their atoms arrange themselves in an ordered pattern.

The structure of the atoms affects the properties of the material, for example FCC metals and
alloys have very good ductility. Each crystal (grain) has its own ordered array of atoms and
where the grains interact with each other there is a mismatch between the ordered atoms
producing a grain boundary. The crystal structure contains imperfections, such as point defects
(for example solute atoms, vacancies) and dislocations, and these govern many of the properties
of the material.

2. Describe the relationship of coordination numbers with the relative ratio of the cations
and anions in the chemical formula for ionic solids.

In ionic solids, this generally means the anions, which are usually arranged in a simple cubic,
bcc, fcc, or hcp lattice. Often, however, the anion lattices are not truly “close packed”; because
the cations are large enough to prop them apart somewhat, the anions are not actually in contact
with one another. In ionic compounds, the cations usually occupy the “holes” between the
anions, thus balancing the negative charge. The ratio of cations to anions within a unit cell is
required to achieve electrical neutrality and corresponds to the bulk stoichiometry of the
compound.

The ratio of the radius of the cation to the radius of the anion is the most important
determinant of whether cations occupy the cubic holes in a cubic anion lattice or the octahedral
or tetrahedral holes in an fcc lattice of anions. Very large cations occupy cubic holes in a cubic
anion lattice, cations of intermediate size tend to occupy the octahedral holes in an fcc anion
lattice, and relatively small cations tend to occupy the tetrahedral holes in an fcc anion lattice.
In general, larger cations have higher coordination numbers than small cations.

3. For ionic lattices, explain why the nearest neighbors of cations are anions and vice versa.

In an ionic solid, the ions are packed together into a repeating array called a crystal lattice. The
concept of crystal packing assumes that the ions are hard spheres. The easiest way to picture
such an array is to arrange one layer of spheres and then place successive layers over it.
In most ionic compounds, the anions are much larger than the cations, and it is the anions which
form the crystal array. The smaller cations reside in the holes between the anions.
Ions are assumed to be charged, incompressible, nonpolarizable spheres.
Ions try to surround themselves with as many ions of opposite charge as closely as possible.
Usually in the packing arrangement, the cation is just large enough to allow the anions to
surround it without touching one another.

More-stable lattices are formed by cations and anions that are relatively close in size.

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