Question

1.(a)
Define what are Crystalline Solids and Amorphous Solids?
(b)
Explain, with a two-dimensional representation, the amorphous and crystalline forms of SiO2?
(c)
The density of matter largely depends on the atomic weight of the atoms and how closely packed they are in the crystal structure. The atomic weight of nickel is 58.70 amu, and it has a face-centred cubic structure, with a lattice parameter of 3.52 Å. Estimate the theoretical density of nickel.

Answer 1

a)

Amorphous Solids:

The solids in which the constituent particles of matter are arranged in a random manner are called amorphous solids. It is a non-crystalline solid with no proper arrangement of atoms in the solid lattice. In other words, we can define amorphous solids as materials which don’t have certain organized arrangement of atoms and molecules. Most solids are amorphous in nature and are utilized in many sectors as well. One of the most common examples of amorphous solids is glass, which is used widely in the manufacturing sector.

Crystalline Solids:

The solids in which the constituent particles of matter are arranged and organized in a specific manner are called Crystalline Solids. These solids contain crystals in their structure and each crystal has definite geometry. Adding further, as crystalline solids have low potential energy, they are the most stable form of solids. Almost all solids fall in the category of crystalline solids including metallic elements (iron, silver, and copper) and non-metallic elements (Phosphorus, Sulphur, and iodine). Also several compounds like sodium chloride, zinc sulphide and naphthalene build crystalline solids.