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Definition of Crystallography
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY is the study of crystals.
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY is a division of the entire study of
mineralogy.
Geometrical, physical, and chemical CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
A CRYSTAL is a regular polyhedral form, bounded by smooth
faces, which is assumed by a chemical compound, due to the
action of its interatomic forces, when passing from the state of a
liquid or gas to that of a solid.
Polyhedral form: solid bounded by flat planes (CRYSTAL FACES).
Very slow cooling of a liquid allows atoms to arrange themselves
into an ordered pattern, which may extend of a long range (millions
of atoms). This kind of solid is called crystalline.
Example: The chemical composition of window glass is virtually
identical with that of quartz (a crystalline material): both are forms
of SiO2. Window glass is glassy because it is made by chilling
molten SiO2 very quickly; quartz crystals form when molten SiO2 is
cooled very slowly or by precipitation from solution.
Crystal Forms
During the process of crystallization, crystals assume various
geometric shapes dependent on the ordering of their atomic
structure and the physical and chemical conditions under which
they grow.
These forms may be subdivided, using geometry, into six systems.
CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC
AXES
(1) CUBIC
(2) TETRAGONAL
(3) ORTHORHOMBIC
(4) HEXAGONAL
(5) MONOCLINIC
(6) TRICLINIC
(3) ORTHORHOMBIC
Three axes, all at right angles, and
all three of different lengths.
Note: If any axis was of equal length
to any other, then we would be in the
tetragonal system!
(4) HEXAGONAL
Four axes! Three of the axes fall in the
same plane and intersect at the axial cross
at 120 degrees between the positive ends.
These 3 axes, labeled a1, a2, and a3, are the
same length. The fourth axis, termed c, may
be longer or shorter than the a axes set.
The c axis also passes through the
intersection of the a axes set at right angle to
the plane formed by the a set.
(5) MONOCLINIC
Three axes, all unequal in length, two of
which (a and c) intersect at an oblique
angle (not 90 degrees), the third axis (b)
is perpendicular to the other two axes.
Note: If a and c crossed at 90 degrees,
then we would be in the orthorhombic
system!
(6) TRICLINIC
The three axes are all unequal in length
and intersect at three different angles
(any angle but 90 degrees).
Note: If any two axes crossed at 90
degrees, then we would be describing a
monoclinic crystal!
MILLER INDICES
Mathematical system for describing any crystal face or group of similar
faces (forms) developed by William H. Miller (1801-1880).
ELEMENTS OF SYMMETRY
PLANES OF SYMMETRY
Any two dimensional surface that, when passed through the center of the
crystal, divides it into two symmetrical parts that are MIRROR IMAGES
is a PLANE OF SYMMETRY
AXES OF SYMMETRY
Any line through the center of the crystal around which the crystal may be
rotated so that after a definite angular revolution the crystal form
appears the same as before is termed an axis of symmetry. Depending
on the amount or degrees of rotation necessary, four types of axes of
symmetry are possible when you are considering crystallography:
When rotation repeats form every 60 degrees, then we have sixfold or
HEXAGONAL SYMMETRY.
When rotation repeats form every 90 degrees, then we have fourfold or
TETRAGONAL SYMMETRY.
When rotation repeats form every 120 degrees, then we have threefold or
TRIGONAL SYMMETRY.
When rotation repeats form every 180 degrees, then we have twofold or
BINARY SYMMETRY.
CENTER OF SYMMETRY.
Most crystals have a center of
symmetry, even though they may
not possess either planes of
symmetry or axes of symmetry.
Triclinic crystals usually only have
a center of symmetry. If you can
pass an imaginary line from the
surface of a crystal face through
the center of the crystal (the axial
cross) and it intersects a similar
point on a face equidistance from
the center, then the crystal has a
center of symmetry.
The crystal face arrangement symmetry of any given crystal is simply
an expression of the internal atomic structure. The relative size of a
given face is of no importance, only the angular relationship or position
to other given crystal faces.
A FORM is a group of crystal faces, all having the same relationship to the
elements of symmetry of a given crystal system. These crystal faces display
the same physical and chemical properties because the ATOMIC
ARRANGEMENT (internal geometrical relationships) of the atoms composing
them is the same.
Note: Crystals, even of the same mineral, can have differing
CRYSTAL FORMS, depending upon their conditions of growth.
Example: Various Crystal Forms of
Peruvian Pyrite
Pyrite is a common mineral which often
exhibits several forms on a single crystal.
One form is usually dominant, presenting
the largest faces on the crystal. Peruvian
pyrite commonly has cubic, octahedral,
and dodecahedral forms on a single
crystal. Crystals with the same forms
present, but with different dominant forms
will each appear very different.
There are 32
forms in the
nonisometric
(noncubic) crystal
systems and
another 15 forms
in the isometric
(cubic) system.
Simple
Cubic and
Related
Structures
Three-dimensional representation
showing the first energy-level shells.
The first shell can contain two
electrons, the second eight.
B.
B. Two-dimensional representation
of the carbon atom to show the
number of protons and neutrons in
the nucleus and the number of
electrons in the energy-level shells.
The first energy-level shell is full
because it contains two electrons.
The second shell contains four
electrons and so is half full.
A.
B.
Anion with the four oxygens touching each other in natural position.
Silicon (dashed circle) occupies central space.
Exploded view showing the relatively large oxygen anions at the
four corners of the tetrahedron, equidistant from the relatively small
silicon cation.
Summary of the way silicate anions polymerize to form the common silicate
minerals. The most important polymerizations are those that produce chains,
sheets, and three-dimensional networks.
Snow Crystals
Snow crystals: Individual ice crystals, often with six-fold symmetrical
shapes. They grow directly from the condensing water vapor in the air, size
microscopic to at most a few mm in diameter
Snowflakes: Collections of snow crystals, loosely bound together into a puffball. Can grow to large sizes (up to 10 cm across)
Plate forms:
Simple sectored plate
Columns forms:
Hollow column
(sheet-like crystal)
Needle crystal