SYMMETRY and CRYSTAL SYSTEMS For this class, to recognize symmetry, you need to be able to recognize mirror planes

(m); rotation axes (A2, A3, A4, A6); and a enter o! s"mmetr" (i). Mirror planes are planes of reflection. A rotation axis is an imaginary line whereby a motif can be rotated two, three, four or six times. A center of symmetry exists, when a face, edge or point on a solid can be projected through the center of the solid and appear on the other side in a reversed position. In the classroom I use three bloc s! an octahedron, a rhombohedron and a tetrahedron to illustrate these symmetry elements. "sing these bloc s we tal about how to recognize mirror planes and how to count the number found in a model. #here are $, for example in an octahedron, % in the tetrahedron and & in the rhombohedron. 'e also loo at rotation axes and students find ()fold, &)fold, *)fold and bar ()fold +roto)inversion,. In terms of centers of symmetry, an octahedron and a rhombohedron have a center, a tetrahedron does not.

-ctohedron .hombohedron #etrahedron #here are six % crystal systems which can be defined either on the basis of symmetry, or, upon the basic building bloc of the crystal. #hese are isometri ; tetra#onal; ort$or$om%i ; mono lini ; tri lini ; and $exa#onal. A/, A*, and A& are used to define the isometric system, but a, b, c are used for the more general case. #he angle between a and b is 0 between a and c is 0 and between b and c is . #he definitions are as follows! isometric! a/1a*1a& and 111$23

tetragonal! a/1a*c and 111$23 orthorhombic! abc and 111$23 monoclinic! abc and $23 triclinic! abc and $23 hexagonal! a/1a*1a&c and c is perpendicular to the 4a5 plane #he hexagonal system is based on four axes, three of which +a/, a*, 6 a&, are at /*23 to one another.

#he building bloc , which ma es up an individual system, is nown as the &nit ell' In most lattices the & shortest non)coplanar periods are used to define the primitive &nit ell of the lattice. In general the angle between any pair of lattice rows will not necessarily be $2 degrees. A r"stal is a solid body bounded by plane natural surfaces, which are the external expression of a regular internal arrangement of constituent atoms or ions. #he term crystal is the Anglicized 7ree word for ice and was generally employed throughout the Middle Ages to designate roc )crystal or 8uartz. Example (! 9alite :a;l belongs to the isometri r"stal s"stem

:ote in any direction, the distance between atoms is the same! a/1a*1a& and the angles between lattice directions is $2 . For halite, a1<.%(2( . +/ 1 /2)= cm,. Example 2! ;alcite +pg &>% of your text, is $exa#onal +rhombohedral, and has a1 (.$$, c1 />.2(. #hese numbers are in . ?ach mineral has a uni8ue set of latti e parameters + a, b, c and ,, , and these are used to define the minerals. Comment a%o&t r"stal s"stems' relations$ip to r"stal s"mmetr" #here is actually a uni8ue relationship between the crystal system and symmetry. For your purposes it would be good for you to remember the following! / %)fold axis / &)fold axis / ()fold axis only tetragonal & ()fold axes ( &)fold axes no symmetry or just i triclinic hexagonal hexagonal@rhombohedral isometric isometric

monoclinic and orthorhombic are somewhat harder to see. #heir maximum symmetry consists of *)fold axes.