Mark Benedict B.

Manalo
Gonzales

Maam

ES 18 (V-4L)
12/12/14
Exercise 2
BASIC CRYSTAL STRUCTURES
Introduction
Since the ancient times, people have been using metals. Theyve used
it as a tool for hunting, cooking, and many more. However, people always
want to innovate. We seek for further improvement for the ease of doing
things, especially in the field of engineering. One of our most commonly used
materials is metals. In order to improve the qualities of a metal, it is
important to be knowledgeable about its components, especially its crystal
structure. A crystal structure is a repetitive pattern of atoms in a 3D space
(ES 18, 2014). The crystal structure of material affects its nature, such as its
strength and other properties.
Objectives
The objectives of the exercise are:
1. To identify the basic crystal structures that metal atoms form.
2. To solve problems using the principles of the basic crystal structure.
Materials and Methods
Materials
16 rounded toothpicks
26 pieces of 1.5 in. polystyrene foam balls
Methods
1. Using ten
four balls
which will
2. Construct
using the
as well.

balls and several toothpicks, create a triangle consisting of

at the base. Create two sets. Sketch this ball arrangement,
serve as the first and third layers of the packing model.
a smaller version of the version of the previous triangle
last six balls. This will form the second layer. Draw this one

3. Place the second layer on top of the first layer such that the second
layer nests in the hollows formed by the balls of the first layer.
4. Place the third layer such that the balls are directly above the balls of
the first layer. Draw the resulting arrangement.
5. Reposition the third layer so that the balls are not aligned with those of
the first layer. Draw this arrangement as well.
6. Using nine balls and several toothpicks, create a square arrangement
with three balls on a side. Create two sets. Sketch this ball
arrangement, which will again serve as the first and third layers of the
packing model.
7. Construct a smaller version of this square using four balls. This is the
second layer. Sketch this one as well.
8. Place the second layer on top of the first layer such that the second
layer nests in the hollows formed by the balls of the first layer. Then,
place the third layer such that the balls are aligned directly with those
on the first layer.

Results and Discussion

The images below show the visual representation for what was done
during the exercise. The body-centered cubic structure was on the leftmost
side. The face-centered cubic structure was at the middle, and the hexagonal
close-packed was at the rightmost side.

Summary and Conclusions

I therefore conclude that after performing this exercise, I was able to
understand the three basic structures that metals follow.

Source
Engineering Science Laboratory Manual