A solid is composed of two elements, X and Y. Atoms of X are arranged in an FCC lattice. Atoms of Y — Solid State Chemistry Question
Question
A solid is composed of two elements, X and Y. Atoms of X are arranged in an FCC lattice. Atoms of Y occupy all the octahedral voids and exactly half of the alternating tetrahedral voids. What is the empirical formula of the compound?
Answer: B
💡 Solution & Explanation
Since X forms the FCC lattice, effective number of X atoms ($Z$) = $4$. In an FCC lattice, there are 4 octahedral voids and 8 tetrahedral voids. Y occupies all 4 octahedral voids and half of the tetrahedral voids ($8 \times \frac{1}{2} = 4$). Total Y atoms = $4 + 4 = 8$. The ratio X : Y is 4 : 8, making the empirical formula $XY_2$.
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