Question

Europium metal crystallizes in a body–centered lattice with the unit cell measuring 4.58 

A° along each edge. Determine the volume of a unit cell.

Answer 1

A body-centred lattice represents a cubic unit cell. According to the formula, the volume of a cube:

V = s³

where s is the edge length of the cube. 

From here, the volume of a unit cell equals:

V = s³ = (4.58 A°)³ = (4.58 × 10^-10)³ = 9.607 × 10^-29 m³

Answer: 9.607 × 10^-29 m³