Physical Chemistry

Solid State

Crystalline vs Amorphous, Crystal Systems, Packing

High Weightage in JEE Main

Introduction

Solids have definite volume/shape; particles in fixed positions with regular order. Properties depend on nature/arrangement of constituents.

Crystalline solids: Long-range order, sharp MP, anisotropic.

Amorphous solids: Short-range order, no sharp MP, isotropic.

Types of Solids

Crystalline
Definite MP/heat of fusion
Rigid, plane cleavage
Anisotropic, symmetry
Amorphous
No definite MP/fusion
Irregular cleavage
Isotropic, no symmetry

Examples

Quartz (Crystalline SiO₂)Amorphous SiO₂
Network solid, sharp MP 1710°CPolymeric, no sharp MP
Diamond: Hard, insulator, density 3.5Graphite: Soft, conductor, density 2.3

Classification of Crystalline Solids

TypeBondingExamplesNatureMP/BPConductivity
IonicCoulombicNaCl, ZnSHard, brittleHighMolten/aq
CovalentSharingDiamond, QuartzVery hardVery highInsulator (graphite conducts)
MolecularIntermolecularI₂, CO₂SoftLowInsulator
MetallicMetallicCu, AuDuctileHighConductor
AtomicDispersionNoble gasesSoftVery lowPoor

Crystallography

Cube: 23 symmetry elements (9 planes, 13 axes, 1 center).

Laws

Interfacial Angles
Constant (Steno's)
Rational Indices
Weiss indices na, nb, nc
Symmetry
Same elements
Miller indices: h = a/intercept_x, etc. d_{hkl} = a / √(h²+k²+l²)

Space Lattice & Unit Cell

14 Bravais lattices, 7 crystal systems.

Cubic Analysis

CellAtoms/Unit CellCN
SC16
BCC28
FCC412
ρ = ZM / (N₀ a³)
PF: SC=52%, FCC=74%, BCC=68%

X-Ray & Packing

Bragg: nλ = 2d sinθ

Close Packing

TypeArrangementSpaceCN
HCPABAB74%12
CCP (FCC)ABCABC74%12
BCCNot close68%8

Voids: Trigonal r/R=0.155

Key Points

JEE Essentials

  • Crystalline: anisotropic, sharp MP
  • FCC: max packing 74%
  • CN: FCC=12, BCC=8, SC=6
  • Bragg for structure
  • 7 systems, 14 lattices

JEE Weightage

2-3 questions typical.

WeightageHigh