TYPES OF

SOLIDS
CRYSTALLINE SOLID:
Crystalline solids are well-ordered, have
definite arrangements of molecules, atoms
or ions.
UNIT CELL
The smallest repeating unit in a crystal is
a unit cell.
Unit cell is the smallest unit with all the
symmetry of the entire crystal.
CRYSTAL LATTICE
An array of points representing the
arrangement of particles in three
dimensional spaces is called crystal lattice.
CRYSTAL LATTICE
A lattice is of 3 types:
I) LOCATION OF IONS:
In NaCl, Na+ ions are so located that there
are six Cl- ions around it and vice versa.
The size of Na+ ion is smaller than Cl- ion.
II) CO-ORDINATION NUMBER:
The no. Of anions which contact a unit cation
is called it’s co-ordination number.
In NaCl, co-ordination number is 6.
III) NO. OF NaCl IN EACH UNIT:
In NaCl there are 8 Cl- ions at each
corner of the cube.
Each corner ion is shared
between eight unit cells, each face shares
with two unit cells.
Cl- Ions (Green)
8 at corners = 8/8 = 1
6 at face centers = 6/2 = 3
Total = 1+3 = 4
Na+ Ions (Violet)
12 at edge centers = 12/4 = 3
1 at body center = 1
Total = 3+1= 4

4Na+ + 4Cl-  4 NaCl

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PACKING
ARRANGEMENTS IN UNIT CELLS
OPEN PACKING – SIMPLE CUBE
CLOSE PACKING – 2 WAYS
(HCP OR CCP)
HEXAGONAL CLOSE PACKING (HCP)
– ABAB TYPE
CUBIC CLOSE PACKING (CCP) –
ABCABC TYPE
CRYSTALLINE
SOLIDS - TYPES
On basis of bonding/attraction
forces:
1. IONIC CRYSTALS
2. COVALENT
CRYSTALS
3. METALLIC CRYTALS
4. MOLECULAR
CRYSTALS
1. IONIC CRYSTALS
An ionic solid is a solid that
consists of cations and anions
held together by electrical
attraction of opposite charges
(ionic bond).
Example: NaCl (Rock Salt)
IONIC CRYSTALS

 High melting points

 Hard and brittle
Conduct electricity
only in their molten
state (or solution)
 Thermally stable
2. COVALENT CRYSTALS
A covalent network solid is
a solid that consists of
atoms held together in large
networks or chains by
covalent bonds.
 COVALENT CRYSTALS
 High Melting points
 Hard & Rigid
Giant covalent
network structure
Bad conductors of
electricity (Except
Graphite)
High latent heat of
fusion
Low coefficient of
expansion
3.METALLIC CRYSTALS
A metallic solid is a solid
that consists of positive
cores of atoms held
together by a surrounding
“sea” of electrons (metallic
bonding).
METALLIC CRYSTALS
 High Melting Point
 High Conductivity
 Lustrous
 Malleable & Ductile
4.MOLECULAR CRYSTALS
A molecular solid is a
solid that consists of
atoms or molecules held
together by intermolecular
forces.
 MOLECULAR SOLIDS
Weak
intermolecular
attractions
Low melting
points
(below
300oc).
 Soft &
brittle
 Nonconduct
ors.
 Amorphous Solids
Amorphous (Non-Crystalline) Solids
• Are composed of randomly oriented atoms,
ions, or molecules that do not form defined
patterns or lattice structures.
• Amorphous materials have order only within
a few atomic or molecular dimensions.
 Amorphous Solids
Amorphous (Non-crystalline) Solids
• Have order only within a few atomic or molecular
dimensions. They do not have any long-range
order, but they have varying degrees of short-
range order. Examples of amorphous materials
include amorphous silicon, plastics, & glasses.
 Amorphous Solids
Amorphous (Non-crystalline) Solids
•Have no regular, long range order of
arrangement of atoms.
Some examples from everyday life:
1. Polymers, 2. Ceramics,
3. Window Glass, 4. “Cotton Candy”!
•The two sub-states of amorphous
solids
are the Rubbery and Glassy states
 Amorphous Solids
Amorphous (Non-crystalline) Solids
•Have no regular, long range order of
arrangement of atoms.
•Can be prepared by rapidly cooling
molten material. Rapid cooling
minimizes time for the atoms to pack
into a more thermodynamically
favorable crystalline state.
 Amorphous Solids

Illustration of the continuous random network

structure of the atoms in an amorphous solid
 Amorphous Solids
• Amorphous Materials  Materials,
including glasses, that have no long-
range order, or crystal structure.
• Glasses - Solid, non-crystalline materials
(typically derived from the molten state)
that have only short-range atomic order.
• Glass-Ceramics - A family of materials
typically derived from molten inorganic glasses
& processed into crystalline materials with very
fine grain size & improved mechanical properties.
 •Atomic arrangements in crystalline silicon
&
amorphous silicon.
(a) Amorphous silicon (b) Crystalline
silicon
•Note the variation in the inter-atomic
 GENERAL DIFFERENCES
• Crystals have an orderly arrangement
of their constituent particles. In
comparison, amorphous solids have no
such arrangement. Their particles are
randomly organised.
• Crystals have a specific geometric
shape with definite edges. Amorphous
solids have no geometry in their
shapes
 GENERAL DIFFERENCES
• Crystalline solids have a sharp melting point
on which they will definitely melt. An
amorphous solid will have a range of
temperature over which it will melt, but no
definite temperature as such
• Crystals have a long order arrangement of
their particles. This means the particles will
show the same arrangement indefinitely.
Amorphous solids have a short order
arrangement. Their particles show a lot of
variety in their arrangement.
 GENERAL DIFFERENCES
• Crystalline solids cleavage (break)
along particular points and
directions. Amorphous solids
cleavage into uneven parts with
ragged edges.
• Crystals are also known as True
Solids, whereas another name for
Amorphous Solids is Super-Cooled
Liquids.