Crystal Structures

A large variety of crystal structure models, including a number of unit cell models. They all consist of some number of painted wooden spheres joined rigidly by steel rods.

To demonstrate the principles of lattice structures in crystalline solids, illustrate some of the different types of structure possible, and how these structures can be combined to create more complicated crystalline structures.

• Crystal structure models

Pictured below on the left is the set of 'primitive' unit cells. They are, in order from top to bottom, left to right:

• Simple cubic
• Body-centered cubic
• Face-centered cubic
• Face-centered orthorhombic
• End-centered orthorhombic
• Simple tetragonal
• Body-centered tetragonal
• Simple hexagonal
• (Body centered? not sure) hexagonal
• Simple monoclinic
• End-centered monoclinic
• Rhombohedral

There are also another ten similar models showing some of the possible combinations of these unit cells, pictured in the second and third row of pictures. There is also a great model of a pyrite crystal, pictured right.