Structures of NaCl, CsCl, ZnS, diamond, graphite
Solid State · Chemistry
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Study notes
Both NaCl and CsCl are 1:1 salts. Why do their structures differ? Step 1: NaCl: r⁺/r⁻ = 0.52 → octahedral range → CN 6:6. Step 2: CsCl: r⁺/r⁻ = 0.92 → cubic range → CN 8:8. Step 3: Cs⁺ is too big for octahedral voids; it needs the larger cubic hole. Step 4: Same formula, different architecture — size writes the blueprint. Heating CsCl above 760 K converts it to NaCl-type (thermal expansion shifts the ratio!).