How many atoms are present in a face-centered cubic unit cell?
A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a face-centered cubic (FCC) unit cell, there are atoms at each of the eight corners and one atom at each of the six faces. Each atom at the corners is shared between eight adjacent unit cells, while each atom on the faces is shared between two adjacent unit cells. Therefore, the total number of atoms in an FCC unit cell is:

8 corners × 1/8 atom per corner + 6 faces × 1/2 atom per face = 1 + 3 = 4 atoms.

How Many Atoms Are Present in a Face-Centered Cubic Unit