Crystallography

By Melinda Darby Dyar, Mickey E. Gunter & Dennis Tasa

Crystallography - Melinda Darby Dyar, Mickey E. Gunter & Dennis Tasa
  • Release Date: 2018-12-12
  • Genre: Geology

Description

This chapter is an introduction to the science of crystallography, which is a symbolic language for describing repeating patterns in 2-D, 3-D, or any dimension of space one wants. It just so happens that the crystal structures of minerals are repeating patterns in 3-D, and we can take advantage of all the work that has been done to study patterns to help us understand minerals. Much later on in this book, you will have a chance to learn the mathematical basis for everything we talk about, so don’t be fooled: what seems descriptive here is actually a very precise, mathematically-elegant way of describing space.
Topics covered in Chapter 4 include: Two-Dimensional Space Symmetry Operations Three-Dimensional Space Isometric System Tetragonal System Orthorhombic System Hexagonal System Monoclinic System Triclinic System