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Etch figures and crystal structures
Author(s) -
Wooster W. A.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
kristall und technik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.377
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1521-4079
pISSN - 0023-4753
DOI - 10.1002/crat.19760110605
Subject(s) - tourmaline , cuprite , topaz , crystallography , crystal (programming language) , quartz , orientation (vector space) , tetrahedron , materials science , chemistry , geometry , mineralogy , mathematics , composite material , metallurgy , computer science , copper , programming language
Abstract The etch figures on some of the naturally occurring faces of crystals of sodium chloride, cuprite, alpha‐quartz, tourmaline and topaz are compared with the atomic arrangements on the etched surfaces. The etch figures are influenced in their shape and orientation relative to the natural faces by a number of factors. One of these factors is the crystal structure. In every example of an etched pit bounded by straight edges, it was found that there exists in the crystal structure a continuous chain of relatively strong inter‐atomic bonds, running parallel to the straight edge. The study of tourmaline indicates the direction in which all the SiO 4 tetrahedra are pointing relative to the external form.