Calculations of distances and radii in compounds with the zinc blende structure are identical to those for compounds with the calcite structure. We use a small cube defined by four ions that form a tetrahedron. These ions lie on opposite corners of a cube.

The cube edge is one half the length of the cell edge. Cations and anions touch along a body diagonal of the cube.

Click the links on the right in order to illustrate the concepts listed above.