In: Chemistry
The radius of a single atom of a generic element X is 175 picometers (pm) and a crystal of X has a unit cell that is face-centered cubic. Calculate the volume of the unit cell.
For fcc crystal X
radius (r) = 175 pm = 1.75 x 10^-8 cm
Edge length of unit cell (d) = r(2sq.rt.(2))
= 1.75 x 10^-8(2 x sq.rt.(2))
= 4.95 x 10^-8 cm
So volume of unit cell = d^3
= (4.95 x 10^-8)^3
= 2.213 x 10^-22 cm^3