Lithium metal crystallises in a body-centred cubic (BCC) structure. If the length of the side of its — Solid State Chemistry Question
Question
Lithium metal crystallises in a body-centred cubic (BCC) structure. If the length of the side of its unit cell is $351\text{ pm}$, what is the atomic radius of the lithium atom in $\text{pm}$? (Round to the nearest integer)
Answer: 152
💡 Solution & Explanation
For a BCC unit cell, the body diagonal is $\sqrt{3}a$, which is equal to $4r$. Therefore, $r = \frac{\sqrt{3}a}{4} = \frac{1.732 \times 351}{4} \approx 151.98\text{ pm}$. Rounded to the nearest integer, it is $152\text{ pm}$.
💬Ask on WhatsApp →
Still have doubts about this question?
Send it to our AI chemistry tutor on WhatsApp — gets answered in minutes