Density Calculation Example

by Thomas J. Webster

Density Question 1
Calculate the density of an FCC crystal
structure of aluminum.
Step 1: Draw the crystal structure:

 Step 2: Write formula

Density = mass/volume
Use mathematical equation:
(atoms / cells) x (mole / atoms) x (mass / mole) x (cell /
volume) = (mass / volume)

Take this equation one part at a time

Determine: (atoms/cells)
For FCC: 8 corner atoms. 6 face atoms. Each corner
atom exists in 8 adjacent cells, so 1/8 of each corner
atom is in any particular unit cell. Each face atom exists
in 2 adjacent cells, so 1/2 of each face atom is in any
given unit cell. (see picture on next slide)
Total atoms / cell = 8 x 1/8 + 6 x 1/2 = 4.
So, (atoms / cell) = (4 atoms / cell)

 Back to the mathematical equation:

(atoms / cell) x (mole / atoms) x (mass / mole) x (cell /
volume) = (mass / volume)

Remember, take this equation one part at a time

Next determine: (mole/atoms)
This is a given in chemistry. 1 mole = 6.022x10^23 atoms

Next determine: (mass/mole)

For aluminum, according to the periodic table,
aluminum has an atomic mass = 26.99g / mole

Next determine: (cell/volume)

This is complicated because the corners are not in contact with each other in FCC and
BCC cells.
The face of FCC cells looks like:
..
..
..
The atoms on the diagonal are touching. The upper left atom touches the middle which
touches the lower right atom.
The length of that diagonal = r from the upper left + 2r from the center + r from the lower
right atoms = 4r
Since this is a cube, via Pythagoreans theorem:.
(left edge length) + (bottom edge length) = (diagonal)
and in a cube the edge lengths are:
2 (edge length) = (diagonal)
2 edge length = diagonal
edge length = 4r / 2 = 22 r

r (or radius) of an aluminum atom =

1.43

and the volume therefore is...

V = (edge length) = (22 r) = (22 1.43 ) x (1 m / 10^10 ) x (100 cm / m) = 6.62x10^23 cm / cell
Thus, (cell/volume) = (1 cell/6.62x10^-23 cm)

How this changes for BCC

fyi.. if you are doing a problem involving a BCC
cube, the atoms touch on the diagonal of the
cube, not the face and the legs of the right
triangle are 1 edge length + 1 face diagonal so
that:
(4r) = (edge length) + (face diagonal)
(4r) = (edge length) + 2 (edge length)
(4r) = 3 (edge length)
and edge length = 4r / 3

 Step 3: Put it all together:

(atoms / cell) x (mole / atoms) x (mass / mole)
x (cell / volume) = (mass / volume)
becomes
(4 atoms / cell) x (1 mole / 6.022x10^23
atoms) x (26.99g / mole) x (1 cell / 6.62x10^23 cm) = 2.71 g/cm

So, the answer is aluminum has a density

of 2.71 g/cm