In: Chemistry
Cu3Au undergoes a phase transition. At elevated temperatures, it has the structure of Cu, where each position is filled randomly with Cu or gold atoms (i.e. at each position, there is a 1/4 probability that the atom is Au, and a 3/4 probability that the atom is Cu). At lower temperatures, the thermodynamically stable phase is a cubic one with space group Pm3m (#221), with a= 3.74Å. Cu is at (0, 0.5, 0.5) and Au is at (0,0,0).
a.Show unit cells of the ordered version.
b.Compare this structure to that of Cu.
c.Explain why the disordered version is favored at higher
temperatures