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Difference between revisions of "Unit cell"

From Online Dictionary of Crystallography

 
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= Unit cell =
 
= Unit cell =
 
  
 
=== Other languages ===
 
=== Other languages ===
  
Maille élémentaire (''Fr''). Einheitszelle (''Ge''). Celda unidad (''Sp''). элементарная ячейка (''Ru'').
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<Font color="blue>Maille élémentaire </Font>(''Fr''). <Font color="red"> Einheitszelle </Font>(''Ge''). <Font color="green">Celda unidad </Font>(''Sp''). <FONT color="purple">элементарная ячейка </Font>(''Ru'').
  
== Definition ==
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= Definition =
  
 
The '''unit cell''' is the parallelepiped built on the vectors, '''a''', '''b''', '''c''', of a crystallographic basis of the [[direct lattice]]. Its volume is given by the triple scalar product, ''V'' = ('''a''', '''b''', '''c''').
 
The '''unit cell''' is the parallelepiped built on the vectors, '''a''', '''b''', '''c''', of a crystallographic basis of the [[direct lattice]]. Its volume is given by the triple scalar product, ''V'' = ('''a''', '''b''', '''c''').
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=== See also ===
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= See also =
  
 
[[direct lattice]]
 
[[direct lattice]]

Revision as of 08:20, 27 February 2006

Unit cell

Other languages

Maille élémentaire (Fr). Einheitszelle (Ge). Celda unidad (Sp). элементарная ячейка (Ru).

Definition

The unit cell is the parallelepiped built on the vectors, a, b, c, of a crystallographic basis of the direct lattice. Its volume is given by the triple scalar product, V = (a, b, c).

If the basis is primitive, the unit cell is called the primitive cell. It contains only one lattice point. If the basis is non-primitive, the unit cell is a multiple cell and it contains more than one lattice point. The multiplicity of the cell is given by the ratio of its volume to the volume of a primitive cell.


See also

direct lattice

Section 8.1 of International Tables of Crystallography, Volume A