NaCl crystallizes in a face-centered cubic cell.What is the total number of ions (Na⁺ ions and Cl^- ions)that lie within a unit cell of NaCl? A)2 B)4 C)8 D)6 E)5

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Each face-centered cubic unit cell contains one Na+ ion in the center and 6 Cl- ions around the edges (each shared by 4 adjacent unit cells). Therefore, there are 1 Na+ ion and (6 Cl- ions/unit cell) = 6 Cl- ions for a total of (1 + 6) = 8 ions in one unit cell of NaCl.

NaCl Crystallizes in a Face-Centered Cubic Cell