CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
Crystalline nature of matter:
If the atoms or molecules in a solid are arranged in some regular periodic (array) then it is known as crystalline. When the atoms or molecules in a solid are arranged in an irregular fashion then it is known as amorphous.
Crystal:
A crystal is a solid composed of a periodic array of atoms i.e. a representative unit is repeated at regular intervals along with array and all directions.
Crystallography:
The study of the geometric form and other physical properties of crystalline solids by using X-rays (by forming X-ray diffraction pattern), electron beams and neutron beams, etc., called crystallography.
Differences between crystalline and amorphous solids:
Space lattice:
Crystals made up of regular and periodic three-dimensional arrangements in space called the crystal structure. The periodic arrangement of atoms in a crystal is called the lattice. There is a group of several atoms or ions at each lattice point. This group is called a basis. So the crystal structure is formed when a basis of atoms is attached identically to each lattice point.
Lattice + basis = crystal structure.
Unit cell:
A unit cell is the smallest geometric figure the repetition of which gives the actual crystal structure.
The fundamental elementary pattern of a minimum number of atoms, molecules or group of molecules which represent fully all the characteristics of the crystal is call unit cell.