Conventional cell

Maille conventionnelle (Fr). Cella convenzionale (It). 慣用単位胞 (Ja).

For each lattice, the conventional cell is the cell obeying the following conditions:

• its basis vectors define a right-handed axial setting;
• its edges are along symmetry directions of the lattice;
• it is the smallest cell compatible with the above condition.

Crystals having the same type of conventional cell belong to the same crystal family.

See also

• Primitive cell
• Unit cell
• Chapter 1.3.2.4 of International Tables for Crystallography, Volume A, 6th edition