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Published in:
2012 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
12. Fundamentals of Crystal Chemistry
Author : Dr. Walter Borchardt-Ott
Published in: Crystallography
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
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Abstract
Crystal chemistry is concerned with the crystal structure of the elements and of chemical compounds. It attempts to explain why particular types of crystal structures arise under specific conditions. It is, however, still only possible to understand how relatively simple crystal structures arise from the atoms that make them up.
A fundamental concept in crystal structures is the idea of sphere packing. In this approach, the atoms or ions of which the structure is composed are regarded as hard spheres which pack with one another. Goldschmidt and Laves summarized this approach in three principles:
1. The Principle of Closest Packing. Atoms in a crystal structure attempt to arrange themselves in a manner which fills space most efficiently.