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🧪 Chemistry  ·  Solid State  ·  NEET & JEE

For a BCC unit cell with edge length a, the radius of the atom is:

Answer: r = a√3/4.

  • A r = a/2
  • B r = a√2/4
  • C r = a√3/4
  • D r = a√2/2

Correct answer: C. r = a√3/4

Explanation: In BCC, atoms touch along the body diagonal. Body diagonal = a√3. The diagonal passes through 4 radii: 4r = a√3, so r = a√3/4.

Cubic Unit Cells: Atom PositionsSimple CubicCN=6, 52.4% packedBody-Centred (BCC)CN=8, 68% packedFace-Centred (FCC)CN=12, 74% packed (densest)Corner atoms (shared by 8 cells) shown lighter; body/face-centre atoms shown solid

The three cubic unit cells: Simple Cubic has atoms only at corners; Body-Centred adds one atom at the centre; Face-Centred adds one atom at the centre of each of the 6 faces, giving the highest packing efficiency.

Concept context

Explore the ordered world of crystalline solids: unit cells, packing, defects, and how structure determines electrical and magnetic properties.

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