Question
Question: Find the ‘a’ radius of \(N{H_3}^ + \) ion and that of \(C{l^ - }\) ion (b). Distance between the opp...
Find the ‘a’ radius of NH3+ ion and that of Cl− ion (b). Distance between the oppositely charged ions in NH4Cl crystal lattice from the given lattice. NH4Cl crystallises in a body centered cubic lattice with a unit cell distance of 387A0. The radius of Cl− ion is 181pm.
Solution
To solve this question we must know few basic information about what a unit cell is and what a body centered cubic lattice is. The smallest repeating unit of the crystal lattice is called the unit cell which is also the building block of a crystal. A unit cell can either be primitive cubic, body-centred cubic or face-centred cubic.
Complete step by step answer:
A BCC unit cell has atoms at each corner of the cube as well as an atom at the centre of the structure. The atom at the body centre fully belongs to the unit cell in which it is present.
In body centered cubic lattice oppositely charged ions remain in contact with each other along the cross-diagonal of the cube.
Since it was given in the question that NH4Cl crystallises in a body centered cubic lattice with a unit cell distance of 387A0.
a=387A0
Hence,
2r++2r−=)13!!!!13a 2(r++r−)=)13!!!!13a r++r−=2)13!!!!13a =23×387 =335.1pm
Since it was given in the question that NH4Cl crystallises in a body centered cubic lattice with a unit cell distance of 387A0 and the radius of Cl− ion is 181pm.
a=387A0
r−=181pm
In body centered cubic lattice structure,
)13!!!!13a=2(r++r−) )13!!!!13×387=2(r++181) r+=154pm
Therefore the size of NH3+ion is 154pm
Note: We must note that,
In the BCC unit cell every corner has atoms.
There is one atom present at the centre of the structure.
Atom at the body centres wholly belongs to the unit cell in which it is present.