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Unit 1.8
Metric
the three cell/lattice constants, the lengths of the edges (a, b, and c)
and three angles between these edges (, , and )
Symmetry
H2O
2H:1O
HO HO HO
HO HO HO
restrictions for
cell constants
cell angles
triclinic
none
monoclinic
none
none
orthorhombic
none
a = b = g = 90
tetragonal
a=b
a = b = g = 90
trigonal
a=b
a = b = 90; g = 120
hexagonal
a=b
a = b = 90; g = 120
a = b = g = 90
cubic
symmetry
hexagonal crystal family
a=b=c
a = g = 90
symmetry
restrictions for
cell constants
cell angles
maximum
symmetry
triclinic
none
monoclinic
none
none
orthorhombic
none
a = b = g = 90
mmm
tetragonal
a=b
a = b = g = 90
4/mmm
trigonal
a=b
a = b = 90; g = 120
3m
hexagonal
a=b
a = b = 90; g = 120
a = b = g = 90
6/mmm
cubic
a=b=c
a = g = 90
2/m
m3m
Warning!
You will find such a table in almost every text book of
crystallography.
angles
a b g 90
monoclinic
abc
abc
orthorhombic
abc
a = b = g = 90
tetragonal
a=bc
a = b = g = 90
trigonal
a=bc
a = b = 90; g = 120
hexagonal
a=bc
cubic
a=b=c
a = b = 90; g = 120
a = b = g = 90
triclinic
a = g = 90, b 90
a = b = g = 90
Vice versa: A crystal of the cubic crystal system has (necessarily and due to the
symmetry!) always the following cell parameters:
a=b=c
a = b = g = 90
Which of the different crystal systems could this crystal belong to?
tetragonal
a = b = g = 90
orthorhombic
monoclinic
triclinic