ESO205A: Nature & Properties of Materials

Assignment #1 Solution
Due Date: August, 11, 2016

1.

Among the 14 Bravais lattice given in the class, there were three cubic lattices: simple, body
centered and face centered. But among the tetragonal lattices, there were only simple and
body centered lattices. What happened to the face centered tetragonal lattice?
10

Solution :- Consider two consecutive face centered tetragonal cells. If we have face centered
tetragonal cells then we can easily choose smaller primitive tetragonal cell as shown in the image
below.

Smaller size Body centered cell is chosen.

Face Centred Tetragonal = Body Centred Tetragonal

3.

a) Calculate c/a ratio and atomic packing factor (APF) in a HCP structure.
b) If Zr with HCP structure is described by a hexagonal lattice with unit cell vectors a 1 and
a2 120o apart and c vector orthogonal to both a1 and a2, how many Zr atoms lie in this cell.
Draw the cell and show these positions. Also, specify the basis set to generate the Zr
crystal structure.
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Solution :-

a) The ideal axial ratio (c/a) for a hexagonal close-packed crystal structure can be calculated by
considering non-interacting identical hard spheres packed together in the h.c.p. crystal structure
as shown below.

If the sphere radius is r, then the lattice parameters a (= b) and c can be written in terms of r.

2r

a2
c 2 12
a(

)
3
4
a2
c2
2
a

3
4
4 c2
4 2
3 a
c
1.633
a

b)

a
a
No. of Zr atoms in a cell = 12* (1/6) + 2*(1/2) + 3*1 = 6

4.

Shown are three different crystallographic planes for a unit cell of some hypothetical
metal. The circles represent atoms.

a) To what crystal system does the unit cell belong?

b) What would this crystal structure be called

5
5

Solution:a) From images we get that all the three angles , and are equal to 90 degrees
From three different planes we get all the three sides a, b and c
a = .25 nm and sqrt (c^2+b^2) = .36nm from (011)
b = .30 nm and sqrt (a^2+c^2) = .32nm from (101)
c = .20 nm and sqrt (a^2+b^2) = .39nm from (110)
Since all a, b and c are different and all angles are 90 degree, hence Orthorombic.

b) Since in all the three images atoms are on the middle of side which has length sqrt (a^2+b^2),
sqrt (a^2+b^2) and sqrt (a^2+b^2) which all are the face diagonals. Hence It is Face Centered
Orthorombhic

5) For the motif (smiley) shown below, draw the pattern that will have 3 fold rotational
symmetry about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the paper, located about me
diameter away from the center of the motif.
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Solution :-