How many titanium and oxygen ions are there in the rutile unit cell shown below? A)3 Ti⁴⁺ and 4 O^2- B)3 Ti⁴⁺ and 6 O^2- C)2 Ti⁴⁺ and 4 O^2- D)2 Ti⁴⁺ and 3 O^2- E)2 Ti⁴⁺ and 6 O^2-

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The unit cell contains 2 titanium ions and 4 oxygen ions. The chemical formula of rutile is TiO2, where there is one titanium ion for every two oxygen ions. In the unit cell, there are 4 oxygen ions arranged in a close-packed structure, and each oxygen ion is bonded to two titanium ions. Therefore, there must be only 2 titanium ions in the unit cell. The answer choice C is the only option that matches this.

How Many Titanium and Oxygen Ions Are There in the Rutile