Topic 3 - The Structure of Crystalline Solids

Question 1

How do atoms assemble into solid structures?

Answer 1

Atoms may assemble into crystalline or amorphous structures.

Question 2

How does the density of a material depend on its structure?

Answer 2

If we know the atomic weight, atomic radius, and crystal geometry we can predict the density.

Question 3

When do material properties vary with the sample orientation?

Answer 3

Material properties generally vary with single crystal orientation (i.e they are anisotropic), but are generally non-directional (i.e they are isotropic) in polycrystals with randomly oriented grains.