Crystallographic Positions,

Directions, and Planes

• We need to develop convention to locate
and specify positions, directions, and
planes.

• Dimensions: c
– unit cell distances
– a, b, c
– along axis x, y, z
a
b
 z

b y
a

x
 z

Positions: (0, 1, 1)

(1, 1, 1)
(x, y, z)

notation in
parentheses,
indices
separated by (0, 0, 0) y

commas a
(1, 0, 0)
(1, 1, 0)
x
Directions: z

vectors that
connect the
origin with a
position [111]

notation in y
brackets,
indices, [110]
no commas [100]
x
 z
Directions

are these two the

SAME direction ?
y

[110]

x
are these two the
SAME direction ?
z YES !
(0, 0, 0)

(1, 1, 0)

origin can be
moved here
y

[110]

x
Directions: z

what direction
is this ?

Answer: y
_
[101]
x
Directions: z

1/2
what direction
is this ?
y

2/3

x
Move origin: z
x = 2/3 (0,0,0)
y=1
z = -1/2

[2/3 1 1/2]
1/2
reduce to small
integers:
y
[2 3 3/2]
2/3
[463]
x
Planes:

Planes keep the same indices as the direction

that they cross perpendicularly
[hkl]
direction

(hkl)
plane
 What plane is this ?
Planes: z

The (111) plane is

perpendicular to the
[111] direction.
Notation:
in parentheses,
Miller indices, (111)
no commas

x
 z
Planes:
The (010) plane is
perpendicular to the
[010] direction.
(010)

[010] y

x
 z
Planes:
The (110) plane is
perpendicular to the
[110] direction.

(110)

[110] y

x
 A Simpler Method:
Interceptions z
of plane with Miller Indices
axes:
x=1
y=1
z=

Reciprocals: (110)
h = 1/1
k = 1/1
l = 1/ = 0 y

plane (110)

x
Obtaining Miller Indices of a Plane
1. Identify coordinate intercepts (i.e. places where plane
crosses axis) x1, y1, z1
° If plane is parallel to axis, intercept is infinity
° If plane passes through (0,0,0) move origin to another
equivalent point in lattice
2. Take the reciprocal intercepts
h1 = 1/x1, k1 = 1/y1, l1 = 1/z1
3. Clear fractions, but DO NOT reduce to lowest integer
values h, k, l
4. Cite plane in parentheses with bars over negative values
(h k l)
(112)
(121)

(102)
Example: z

what plane
is this ?

(1 1 0)
y
-1

(0,0,0)
1
x
 What are the indices if
Example: z
you chose this origin?
what plane
is this ?

(110)

y
-1

x
1
 z

x
 1) is this plane equivalent?
Example: z

what plane
is this ?

(1 1 0)
y
-1

(0,0,0)
1
x
 In class problem
• Sterling silver contains 1.3 cm
– 7.5 wt % Cu and
– 92.5 wt % Ag 0.4 cm

• Calculate the number of Ag atoms present in the

small cylindrical piece depicted above

• Data:
density of the sterling silver alloy 10.45 g/cm3
Atomic weight Ag = 107.87 g/mol
Atomic weight Cu = 63.54 g/mol
Avogadro’s Number = 6.022 x 1023 atoms/mol
 L= 1.3 Volume = 0.1634 cm3

d= 0.4

Mass = density*V = 1.70714544 g

mass Ag = 0.925*M = 1.57910953 g

Ag 0.01463901 mols

8.7834E+21 atoms
 Please, read:

“Materials Science and Engineering. An

Introduction” William D. Callister Jr., David G.
Rethwish, John Wiley and Sons, 2018
Chapter 3:
The Structure of Crystalline Solids

“Introduction to Materials Science for Engineers”

James F. Shackelford, Prentice Hall, 2015
Chapter 3: Crystalline Structure - Perfection