ACTIVITY 2

SOLID STATE CRYSTAL STRUCTURES

The regular geometric shapes of well-formed crystals reflect orderly three

dimensional network of the atoms, ions, or molecules that constitute the crystal lattice.
Although the arrangements of atoms and ions which lead to regular crystal lattice
structures are quite simple, it is difficult to visualize the arrangements in 3-dimensions.

One of the purposes of modelling some of the common crystal structures is to

clearly see how the atoms and ions are arranged on the molecular level. Growing a crystal
on a microscopic level lead to orderly structures on the macroscopic level.

Macroscopic crystals are perfectly stacked unit cells in the molecular level. A unit
cell can be represented in the hard sphere model, which utilizes the fewest number of
atoms while maintaining the structural makeup of a material. It is an effective
representation of the physical arrangement of atoms in a solid. The unit cell is also defined
by its ability to be “stacked” to form larger blocks of material. This model assumes that
the atom is akin to a sphere, and therefore the unit cell is often tightly packed.

Several properties have been defined to describe the unit cell and consequently
tell something about the structural makeup of the material they represent. The atomic
packing factor (APF), for example, is the ratio of the volume of atoms in the unit cell over
the volume of the unit cell, as described by equation 1.

𝑁'()*+ 𝑉'()* 𝑁'()*+ × 463 𝜋𝑟 9

,-.. ,-..
𝐴𝑃𝐹 = =
𝑉012( ,-.. 𝑉012( ,-..
*𝑁:;<=> = 𝑛𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙; 𝑉"#$% = volume of the atom; 𝑉&'(# )*++ = volume of the unit cell
?@AA

Equation 1. Atomic Packing Factor

Three common arrangements that describe most materials: The Body Centric
Cubic (BCC), Face Centered Cubic (FCC), and the Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP).

+√+ 4
HCP 𝑉"#$% '()) = -
𝐴- 𝐶; 𝐴 = 2𝑟; C = 3+ A (a)

4𝑟
FCC 𝑉"#$% '()) = (𝑎7 )+ ; 𝑎7 = (b)
√3

BCC 𝑉"#$% '()) = (𝑎7 )+ ; 𝑎7 = 2𝑟√2 (c)

* a0 = length of a side of a unit cell ; r = radius of the atom

Equation 2. Volume of Unit cell and Unit cell length

OBJECTIVES
• Grow a crystal from a solution
• Build three unit cells of the most common crystalline structures: BCC, FCC, HCP
• Calculate the atomic packing factor for each model and contrast against
scientifically accepted values

MATERIALS
• Alum powder • Vernier Caliper
• Thread • 40 marbles
• Grease or oil • Glue Stick
• Rubber band • Glue Gun
• Filter paper

PROCEDURE

I. Crystal Growth
1. Weigh out 10 g of alum and place it in a clean 250-mL beaker. For each
gram of alum used, add 7 mL of water. Heat the mixture and stir it with a
stirring rod until a clear solution is obtained. (Note: If the mixture remains
cloudy, allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes until the sediment has
settled out, then carefully decant the clear solution into another clean 250-
mL beaker.) Allow the solution to cool to room temperature.
2. Tie a piece of thread to a glass rod so that when suspended in the solution
the thread will extend no more than 1 cm below the surface of the solution.
Smear grease on the part of the thread that will be above the solution to
keep the solution from creeping up the thread. Cover the top of the beaker
with a piece of filter paper, and use a rubber band to hold the paper in place.
Punch a hole in the center of the paper. Lower the thread through it until the
thread is submerged and the stirring rod rests on top of the beaker. Keep
the beaker in a safe storage place. Crystals should have formed on the
string and/or at the bottom of the solution by the time you return for your
next lab period.
3. If crystals have formed on the string, crush off all the best one. If not, decant
the liquid from the crystal(s) at the bottom of the container into another clean
container. If more than one crystal grew, inspect them and pick one that
shows good faces. Tie a fine thread to this "seed" crystal and tie the other
end to the glass rod.
4. Suspend the crystal in a freshly prepared solution of 10 g of alum in 70 mL
of water. This solution must be allowed to cool to room temperature before
the crystal is introduced.
II. Model Building
A. Hexagonal Close Packed
1. Place 7 marbles in a hexagonal position and fasten the marbles in place
using the molten glue stick.
2. Place 3 marbles on top of the 1st layer of marbles and fasten again with
molten glue stick
3. Place 7 marbles again on top of the 2nd layer in a position like the first layer
and fasten with glue again.
4. Measure the length of sides (A and C) of the HCP structure using the caliper.
(Note: Six spheres surround a central sphere in the first and third. Three
spheres triangulate in the second layer between the first and third. See
Figure 1a.)

B. Face Centered Cubic

1. Place 5 marbles in a square position with 1 marble at the center. Glue all
the marbles to secure its shape.
2. Place 4 marbles on top of the 1st , then fasten it with molten glue.
3. Place 5 marbles like the 1st layer on top of the 2nd layer and fasten with
molten glue.
4. Measure the length of the side (a0) using a caliper
(Note: FCC structure should look like Figure 1b.)

C. Body Centered Cubic

1. Place 4 marbles in a square position.
2. Place 1 marble on top of the center the 1st layer then fasten with glue
altogether.
3. Place the 3rd layer like the 1st layer with 4 marbles at each corner, secure
all marbles in place with molten glue
4. Measure the length of the side (a0) using a caliper.
(Note: BCC structure should look like Figure 1c.)

C a0 a0

a0

a0

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 1. (a) HCP (b) FCC (c) BCC
 REPORT SHEET
Activity 2
SOLID STATE CRYSTAL STRUCTURES

NAME ______________________ LOCKER NO. _________ RATING ________

SCHEDULE __________________ DATE PERFORMED ____________________

I. Dimensions of the Unit Cells

HCP BCC FCC

Side 1 Side 2 Side 1 Side 2

a0 -------

A ------- -------

C ------- -------

Atoms/Unit Cell
 REPORT SHEET
Activity 2
SOLID STATE CRYSTAL STRUCTURES

NAME ______________________ LOCKER NO. _________ RATING ________

SCHEDULE __________________ DATE PERFORMED ____________________

II. Determination of APF of the unit cells

HCP FCC BCC

Volume of
Atoms in unit
cell

Volume of unit
cell

Calculated APF

Known APF 0.740 0.740 0.680

% Error

Calculations:
 REPORT SHEET
Activity 2
SOLID STATE CRYSTAL STRUCTURES
NAME ______________________ LOCKER NO. _________ RATING ________
SCHEDULE __________________ DATE PERFORMED ____________________

Answer the following:

1. In crystal growth, what is the purpose of the seed crystal?

2. What is the importance of leaving the crystal growth undisturbed? How are
imperfections formed in crystal growth? Cite some examples.

3. Compare and contrast the two types of close-packing in solids?

4. Why is there % error in part II? What could be the reason for such error?

5. By understanding the structure of crystals molecularly, what is its relation to the

strength of materials?

6. Use the internet to search three (3) examples of metals which have HCP, FCC and
BCC structures. Relate the structure to the characteristic properties of each metal.
Please indicate the condition the given structures are observed.