Consider a pure metal crystallizing in an ideal ABABAB... Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP) framework. Wh — Solid State Chemistry Question
Question
Consider a pure metal crystallizing in an ideal ABABAB... Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP) framework. What is the total effective number of host atoms ($Z$) belonging specifically to one single HCP unit cell?
Answer: 6
💡 Solution & Explanation
A standard HCP unit cell consists of 12 corner atoms (each shared by 6 cells, contribution $12 \times \frac{1}{6} = 2$), 2 face-centered atoms (each shared by 2 cells, contribution $2 \times \frac{1}{2} = 1$), and 3 completely internal atoms (contribution $3 \times 1 = 3$). Total $Z = 2 + 1 + 3 = 6$.
💬Ask on WhatsApp →
Still have doubts about this question?
Send it to our AI chemistry tutor on WhatsApp — gets answered in minutes