Structures+of+Solids

=**__STRUCTURES OF SOLIDS__**=


 * This is a rock. A rock is an example of a solid.**



//Now in all seriousness...//
 * Characteristics:**
 * Rigid
 * Retains shape and volume
 * Incompressible
 * Does not flow like a liquid
 * Diffusion within a solid occurs extremely slow

Crystalline Solids: Amorphous Solids:
 * Solids can either be crystalline or amorphous**:
 * The atoms, ions, or molecules are neatly and specifically arranged
 * Usually have a flat surface or the faces make definite angles with each other
 * The orderly stacks cause the solids to have regular shapes
 * The repeating unit of a solid (or the "brick" of the crystalline) is called a **unit cell**
 * ex. Quartz and Diamonds, Pyrite, Amethyst
 * Have no orderly structure
 * These solids do not have well defined faces and shapes
 * Many are mixtures of molecules so they cannot stack well or they are stacks of complicated molecules
 * ex. Rubber, Glass



A crystalline solid can be shown using a three-dimensional model called a crystal lattice. The angles and lengths of the edges in the structure can vary from compound to compound. The simplest form has sides of equal length and 90 degree angles.
 * Crystal Lattice:**
 * Primitive Cubic- when the lattice point are at only corners
 * Body Centered Cubic- the lattice point also occurs at the center of the cell
 * Face Centered Cubic- the cell has lattice points at the center of each face as well as the corners



Most metals follow the most basic crystal lattice structures, such as the body-centered cubic. More complicated ionic molecules will use the more complicated structures. In the case of NaCl, the face centered cubic is the structure.



Sources: __Chemistry: The Central Science (Ninth Edition)__ Brown, LeMay, Bursten

Images: http://www.suelebeau.com/images/rock.gif http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Graphics/QuartzGlass.jpg http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=&h=&cache=cache&media=crystal_lattice.png http://inorganic.chemistry.pu.edu.tw/first/New/L4/nacl.gif