Which material is an example of a body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure?

Explanation:

Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) Crystal Structure

• The body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure is a type of crystalline arrangement of atoms in a material. In a BCC structure, atoms are located at each corner of a cube and a single atom is positioned at the center of the cube. This arrangement is common in various metals and alloys, providing specific mechanical properties such as strength and hardness.

Iron (Fe) at room temperature

• Iron (Fe) at room temperature exhibits a body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure.
• This is also known as alpha iron or ferrite. In this structure, the atoms are arranged in such a way that there is one atom at each of the eight corners of the cube and one atom at the center of the cube.
• This arrangement results in each unit cell containing a total of two atoms: one-eighth of an atom from each of the eight corners (8 × 1/8 = 1 atom) and one whole atom at the center.

The BCC structure of iron at room temperature gives it certain mechanical properties such as high strength and hardness. This arrangement allows for a relatively high packing density and a high coordination number, which contributes to the metal’s ability to withstand significant amounts of stress and deformation.

Important Characteristics of BCC Iron:

• Atomic Packing Factor (APF): The APF of a BCC structure is approximately 0.68, indicating that 68% of the volume is occupied by atoms, and the remaining 32% is empty space.
• Coordination Number: The coordination number of BCC is 8, meaning each atom is in direct contact with 8 other atoms.
• Mechanical Properties: BCC iron is known for its high strength and hardness, making it useful in construction and manufacturing applications.

Additional InformationOption 2: Copper (Cu) at room temperature

Copper (Cu) at room temperature has a face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure, not a BCC structure. In the FCC arrangement, atoms are located at each corner of the cube and at the centers of each face of the cube. This structure provides different mechanical properties such as higher ductility and malleability compared to BCC structures.

Option 3: Diamond (C) at room temperature

Diamond (C) at room temperature has a diamond cubic crystal structure, which is a variation of the face-centered cubic structure. In this arrangement, each carbon atom is covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral configuration, resulting in a very strong and rigid lattice. This structure is not BCC.

Option 4: Aluminum (Al) at room temperature

Aluminum (Al) at room temperature also has a face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure. Similar to copper, the atoms in aluminum are arranged at each corner of the cube and at the centers of each face of the cube, which provides high ductility and good electrical conductivity, but it is not a BCC structure.