Find Miller Indexes of SC Cube Planes: FAN, KFA, HAN

In summary: Basically, if you take the derivative of the surface normals at each point, you can see which direction has a smaller magnitude.
  • #1
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for the following SC cube, find the miller indexes for the planes:
FAN
KFA
HAN
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_H4Iz7SmBrbk/SvhiU8OeicI/AAAAAAAAB8M/o8QPR2ht2gA/Capture.JPG

what i leared to do was find the points that the plane intercepts the x,y,z axis, i chose axes such that x+ is pointing right and y+ upwards, then i divide to get a ratio, and then ()^-1
i chose the length of a side of the cube to be "a"

FAN -> a,a,a -> 1,1,1 -> 1 1 1
KFA-> a,inf,a -> 1,inf,1 -> 1 0 1

now for the 3rd one i have found the intercept with the z axis which came out as 1.5a
HAN-> a,a,1.5a -> 1,1,1.5 -> 1 1 2/3

my question is if i am meant to do it like that or if i am meant to divide by 1.5a instead of just a
HAN-> a,a,1.5a -> 2/3,2/3,1 -> 1.5 1.5 1

up until this question i have only had whole numbers in the muiller index, so i thought another option could be
HAN-> a,a,1.5a -> 2,2,3 -> 0.5 0.5 1/3

but then i have on;y fractions,

could someone please clear this up for me, which way (if any )) is the correct way?
 
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  • #2
It's customary to use all whole numbers.
 
  • #3
so then
3 3 2 ?
 
  • #4
Looks good to me.
 
  • #5
now my second question is does it matter what i call xyz?? since they arent defined in the question, i chose xyz as i said but a friend of mine chose different and we obviosly got different answers. for example he would get 2 3 3 for the above index.
is there any standard axes system or can i choose any right handed system?
 
  • #6
Your friend's answer is equivalent since, as you suggest, Nature doesn't have a preferred coordinate system.
 
  • #7
Mapes, would it not be 223 since it intercepts the z axis at1.5 times the point it intercepts the x,y axes. or is this correct since i apply ()^-1 to the whole index?
 
  • #8
233 looks right to me. If you look at the surface normal, there's one direction whose resolved component is smaller and two whose components are equal and larger. Plus, I agree with your original calculations.
 
  • #9
can you explain what you said about the normals a bit more, how do i see that there is one which ils smaller?
 
  • #10
Well, the plane contacts point H instead of point F, so it's not angled towards the z axis as much as it would be if it were a 111 plane. But this is kind of the "casual" way of estimating the indices. The reciprocal approach is the rigorous way, which you showed in your first post.
 

Related to Find Miller Indexes of SC Cube Planes: FAN, KFA, HAN

1. What is the Miller Index notation system?

The Miller Index notation system is a way of describing crystal planes in three-dimensional space. It uses three numbers, known as Miller indexes, to define the orientation and position of a plane within a crystal lattice.

2. How do you find the Miller Indexes of a crystal plane?

To find the Miller Indexes of a crystal plane, you need to determine the intercepts of the plane on each of the crystallographic axes. These intercepts are then inverted, reduced to the smallest whole numbers, and enclosed in brackets to create the Miller Index notation.

3. What does "SC" refer to in the term "SC Cube"?

In crystallography, "SC" stands for simple cubic, which is a type of crystal lattice structure where the atoms are arranged in a cube shape with one atom at each corner of the cube.

4. What do the letters in the plane designations "FAN", "KFA", and "HAN" stand for?

The letters in these plane designations stand for the three crystallographic axes: "F" for the X-axis, "A" for the Y-axis, and "N" for the Z-axis.

5. How can knowing the Miller Indexes of a crystal plane be useful?

Knowing the Miller Indexes of a crystal plane is useful for understanding the physical and chemical properties of a crystal, as well as for predicting how it will interact with other substances. It can also help in the identification and classification of different crystals.

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