A crystal lattice is a three-dimensional shape that determines the shape of individual crystal units. It is larger than a crystal’s pattern and smaller than the crystal’s space group. The lattice is stable and predictable, with only a handful of possible shapes. The broadest description of a crystal is grouping.
A crystal lattice is a three-dimensional shape that determines the shape of individual crystal units. The lattice is not a physical thing; rather, it is the term that describes a physical form. These lattices are larger than a crystal’s pattern, which determines the arrangement of individual atoms, and smaller than the crystal’s space group, which is made up of a collection of lattices. In many ways, the crystal lattice is the truest form of the crystal. If it’s smaller, it’s incomplete and larger, and is simply a multiple of crystals connected to each other.
A crystal is made up of a series of repeating patterns. If allowed to grow without interruption, that pattern would continue forever unchanged. Such situations are rare, however, as things like heat, gravity, and chemical impurities can have drastic effects on crystal growth. There are three terms that describe the shape of a crystal: pattern, lattice, and clustering.
The model of a crystal describes how individual atoms or molecules are arranged within the structure. This is the smallest of the descriptions, but has the biggest impact on how the final crystal is put together. In general, this is the most stable way to connect individual particles, which makes most crystals atomically and chemically stable. No matter how large a pattern is, it will repeat over and over again if given enough space.
The next step forward in terms of size is the crystal lattice. This module describes a series of dots and lines in three dimensions that will be filled by the model. The shape of the lattice is determined by the pattern, as the molecular shape of the crystal will repeat itself in a distinct and stable shape. The crystal lattice gives a crystal a recognizable neighborhood and shape, such as table salt that appears as small cubes.
Because a crystal lattice is so stable and predictable, there are only a handful of different possible shapes. All shapes are variations of cubes, boxes, rhomboids and hexagons although they have many different names. While two lattices may look like identical cubes, the internal structure of the dots could be different, giving it a different name and, technically, a different shape.
The broadest description of a crystal is grouping. This shape describes the pattern that individual lattices will take on as they replicate. This final grouping is extremely variable in size as it can describe any collection from two lattices up to infinity.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
