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Classification of Solids: Crystalline vs Amorphous

Crystalline solids are classified as either ionic, covalent, or metallic based on the type of bonds between the atoms. Ionic solids consist of positive and negative ions arranged in a repeating pattern, while covalent solids are made up of atoms bonded together and metallic solids have a 'sea' of delocalized electrons bonding the metal cations. X-ray diffraction can be used to determine the crystal structure of crystalline solids by analyzing the pattern produced when x-rays are diffracted by the repeating atomic arrangements.

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30 views16 pages

Classification of Solids: Crystalline vs Amorphous

Crystalline solids are classified as either ionic, covalent, or metallic based on the type of bonds between the atoms. Ionic solids consist of positive and negative ions arranged in a repeating pattern, while covalent solids are made up of atoms bonded together and metallic solids have a 'sea' of delocalized electrons bonding the metal cations. X-ray diffraction can be used to determine the crystal structure of crystalline solids by analyzing the pattern produced when x-rays are diffracted by the repeating atomic arrangements.

Uploaded by

waustavaiqia
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Classification of solids

-Broadly solids are classified as Crystalline


and Amorphous solid

Crystalline solid
- particles are arranged in patterns that repeat
over and over again in all directions –the
resulting overall pattern is called crystal lattice -
Sharp melting point
- Possess definite heat of fusion
- If they don’t satisfy these-Amorphous solid
Types of crystal structures

-Ionic crystals
-Covalent Crystals
-Molecular crystals
-Metallic crystals
Ionic solids
A three dimensional arrangement of cations and
anions held together by electrostatic force of
attractions

-The positive and negative ions occupy the lattice


points

-The ions are at each corners and face of the a cube-it is called
face centred cubic unit cell (fcc)
NaCl crystal structure
Coordination number- each ion is surrounded by a definite
numbeions with opposite charge and vice versa
NaCl is a 6:6 crstal.
Crystall structure of ZnS
Characteristics of ionic crystals

They have high melting points and high boiling


points.
They have higher enthalpies of fusion and
vaporization than molecular compounds.
They're hard and brittle.
They conduct electricity when they are dissolved
in water.
They're good insulators in solid state.
Metallic solids
-are composed of metal cations held together
by a delocalized "sea" of valence electrons

-The attraction between the metal cations and the electrons is


called metallic bond
Electron

sea model of metallic solid


Crystal structures examples
Sodium metal- Body centred cubic
-The atoms touch one another along the cube's
diagonal crossing
Crystal structure of Aluminium metal

- Face centred cubic


Characteristics of Metallic Solids

⮚ They possess high melting and


boiling points.
⮚ Thy show high thermal
conductivity. ⮚ They show high
electrical
conductivity.
⮚ They are malleable and ductile.
Crystalline Covalent solids

Covalent crystals are made up of atoms


-hard, frequently brittle materials

eg diamond, silicon, and silicon carbide.


In diamond, each carbon is surrounded by four
other carbons-tetrahedral arrangement

-Because there are no delocalized


electrons, covalent solids do not conduct
electricity.
-The rearranging or breaking of covalent
bonds requires large amounts of energy;
therefore, covalent solids have high melting
points.
-Covalent bonds are extremely strong, so
covalent solids are very hard.
Molecular crystals
Are solids in which lattice cites are
occupied either by atoms or by molecules

-solid argon
Solid CO2
Ice
X-ray diffraction

-to study the crystal structure of crystalline solids


When atoms are bathed with x-rays, they absorb some of the
radiation and emit again in all directions
-Each atom become a tiny x-ray source

Some of the light are in phase and some are out of phase -
The rays in phase are detected and analyzed. This creates a
phenomenon called diffraction
Destructive rays Constructive rays

Crystal contains enormous number of atoms but


the atoms are spaced evenly

When bathed with x-ray, intense light will be


emitted by the atoms

When the emitted light fall on a photographic paper,


the films become dark which the pattern will be
analysed
to workout the position of the atoms in the crystal

-A complex mathematical analysis is required


Bragg’s Equation
nλ = 2d sin θ
Relates the wavelength of the x ray, angle
of incidence and the distance of the atoms
layer

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