SUCCESS MAKERS 2011

Introduction (For Reading only)

-X-rays are electromagnetic waves of very short wavelength (0.01 to 10 nm).

-They can be generated by an X-ray tube, (vacuum tube that uses a high voltage
to accelerate the electrons released by a hot cathode to a high velocity. These
electrons collide with a metal target (anode), emitting large no. of photons
which form X-rays).

X-ray Diffraction:

-Since the atomic spacing in solids is known to be very small (about 0.1 nm), so
we can use X-rays to create diffraction patterns of the atomic structure
(crystals).
-This prediction was suggested by Max von Laue in 1913 and confirmed by
subsequent experiments.
-The diffraction patterns from crystals are complex because of the three-
dimensional nature of crystal structure.
-X-ray diffraction is an extremely useful technique for showing these structures
and understanding them.

Experiment
-A collimated beam of monochromatic x-rays is incident on a crystal.
-The diffracted beams are very intense in certain directions, corresponding to
constructive interference (from waves reflected from the atoms in the crystal).
-These beams form an array of
spots known as Laue pattern.
-By analysing the positions
and intensities of these various
spots, the crystalline structure
can be deduced using
diffractometer.

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 SUCCESS MAKERS 2011

Bragg’s law
-If x-ray beam is incident on 2 atomic planes, making an angle () with one of
them, so the beam can be reflected from both the upper plane and the lower one.
-The beam reflected from the lower plane travels farther than the beam reflected
from the upper plane, because of the path difference (2d sin ) between them.
-The two beams reinforce each other (constructive interference) when this path
difference equals some integer multiple of (). (For Reading)

-This condition is known as Bragg’s law.

-For constructive interferences

2dsin θ= mλ
where m= 1, 2, 3
-This can be used to calculate the spacing (d) between atomic planes.

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