Practicing Success
In a face centred cubic unit cell of close packed atoms, the radius of atom (r) is related to the edge length ‘a’ of the unit cell by the expression |
\(r = \frac{a}{\sqrt{2}}\) \(r = \frac{a}{2}\) \(r = \frac{a}{2\sqrt{2}}\) \(r = \frac{\sqrt{3a}}{4}\) |
\(r = \frac{a}{2\sqrt{2}}\) |
The correct answer is 3. \(r = \frac{a}{2\sqrt{2}}\). In a face-centered cubic arrangement, the three atoms along the face diagonal touch each other. Therefore, Distance between the nearest neighbours, \(d = \frac{AC}{2}\) Now in right angled \(\Delta ABC\) \(AC^2 = AB^2 + BC^2\) or, \(AC^2 = a^2 + a^2 = 2a^2\) or, \(AC = \sqrt{2}a\) ∴ \(d = \frac{\sqrt{2}a}{2} = \frac{a}{\sqrt{2}}\) Radius, \(r = \frac{d}{2} = \frac{a}{2\sqrt{2}}\) |