Which of the following crystal systems is suitable for a match box?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is option 3. Orthorhombic crystal system.
The best crystal system for a matchbox is orthorhombic crystal system.
Simple cubic crystal system: This system has all sides equal in length and all angles at 90 degrees. A matchbox typically has different length, width, and height.
Monoclinic crystal system: This system has one angle that is not 90 degrees, but all sides are still different lengths. While a matchbox might not have perfectly 90-degree angles due to manufacturing tolerances, it's close enough. The key issue is that all sides have different lengths, which monoclinic doesn't handle.
Tetragonal crystal system: This system has one axis longer or shorter than the other two, but all angles are 90 degrees. A matchbox could potentially fit in this system if the length and width were very close, but it's unlikely for a typical matchbox.
Orthorhombic crystal system: It has all angles at 90 degrees, and it allows for all three sides (length, width, and height) to have different lengths. This perfectly matches the geometry of a standard matchbox.
Therefore, the orthorhombic crystal system best describes the crystal structure that a matchbox would resemble.