How Do You Calculate Atomic Plane Spacing in a Cleaved Crystal?

  • Thread starter bang911
  • Start date
In summary, the spacing between two atomic planes that separate when a crystal cleaves along a face diagonal is .141 nm.
  • #1
bang911
2
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I just had my first college physics class today, and already I'm stuck on the first problem. I already had physics in HS and I expected I wouldn't have that much trouble in college. So here is a question that I have no clue how to answer.

A crystalline solid consists of atoms stacked up in a repeating lattice structure. Consider a crystal as shown in figure p1. The atoms reside at the corners of the cubes of side L = 0.200 nm. One piece of evidence for the regular arrangement of atoms comes from the flat surfaces along which a crystal separates, or cleaves, when it is broken. Suppose this crystal cleaves along a face diagonal as in p2. Calculate the spacing d between two adjacent atomic planes that separate when the crystal cleaves.

(the pictures are in 3d)

OOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOO
l<-L->l \d\



OO OOOOOO
OOO OOOOO
OOOO OOOO



the answer is .141 nm

so if anyone would help me out with this i would greatly appreciate it
 
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  • #2
bang911 said:
A crystalline solid consists of atoms stacked up in a repeating lattice structure. Consider a crystal as shown in figure p1. The atoms reside at the corners of the cubes of side L = 0.200 nm. One piece of evidence for the regular arrangement of atoms comes from the flat surfaces along which a crystal separates, or cleaves, when it is broken. Suppose this crystal cleaves along a face diagonal as in p2. Calculate the spacing d between two adjacent atomic planes that separate when the crystal cleaves.

(the pictures are in 3d)

Well, maybe my picture helps.

ehild
 
Last edited:
  • #3
Yeah, that picture is helpful.
 
  • #4
Just use the Pythagorean theorem :cool:
 
  • #5
Ya I had no clue how the pythagorean theorm was to be used when i read the problem. Thanks for the post and that nice diagram though. Doesn't seem tough any more. :cool:
 
  • #6
bang911 said:
Ya I had no clue how the pythagorean theorm was to be used when i read the problem. Thanks for the post and that nice diagram though. Doesn't seem tough any more. :cool:

It's a pleasure ... :smile:

ehild
 

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