Introduction

Many structures can be described as close packed arrays of anions with cations occupying octahedral or tetrahedral holes in the lattice. Click on the "CCP lattices" "HCP lattices" tabs to investigate some of the common crystal structures which are described in this way. The pages feature interactive models of the structures which can be examined from all angles by left-clicking and dragging to rotate the structures. Press shift at the same time and move the mouse up and down will zoom in and out. Right click or click on the Jmol logo and select from the menu for advanced viewing options. Each structure has a set of buttons for you to press to investigate aspects of the structures in more detail.

After viewing the structures, click on the "questions" tab and then log on to WebCT and complete the post-lab quiz.

The structures are viewed using the Jmol chemical structure Java viewer. This applet enables you to rotate and zoom in on the structures.

To use this tutorial, you need to have a Java plugin installed and enabled. If you can see the coffee cup opposite then you already have Java installed and running.

How do I enable Java?

Look up "Enable Java" in the help section of your browser.

(Apologies - specific instructions for the (none) browser are not known).

Virtual reality models of some of the structures are also available. These are not vital to the excercise but do give excellent 3D representations where available.

If you can see a part of a chemical structure (or the client logo) opposite then you already have a VRML client running.

Solid State Structures

Academic Resources

Support in Chemistry

Introduction