Count Cations
Click the links on the right to view cations in the NaCl structure. You may also draw the unit cell if this would be of any help.
Some cations are shared among 4 unit cells. One is
completely within a unit cell.
1 cation inside the cell +
1/4 of a cation on each edge x 12 edges
= 4 cations per cell
1/4 of a cation on each edge x 12 edges
= 4 cations per cell
The cation at the center of the cell is completely inside
One fourth of a cation at the middle of each edge is located in the unit cell
Copyright ©
2003
by: Journal of Chemical Education Software
by: Journal of Chemical Education Software