Simple cubic unit cell

Definition

A simple cubic unit cell is a type of crystal lattice structure where each corner of the cube is occupied by an atom. It is the most basic and least densely packed arrangement in crystalline solids.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The coordination number of a simple cubic unit cell is 6.
2. Each atom at a corner of a simple cubic unit cell contributes 1/8th to the volume of the unit cell.
3. There is only one net atom per simple cubic unit cell.
4. The packing efficiency of a simple cubic unit cell is approximately 52.4%.
5. The edge length (a) of the simple cubic unit cell can be expressed as $2r$, where $r$ is the radius of an atom.

Related terms

Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) Unit Cell: A crystal structure where each corner and the center of the cube are occupied by atoms, leading to higher packing efficiency than the simple cubic structure.

Face-Centered Cubic (FCC) Unit Cell: A crystal structure where each corner and center of all faces are occupied by atoms, resulting in high packing efficiency.

Coordination Number:

The number of nearest neighbor atoms surrounding an atom in a crystal lattice.