FCC Crystal Structure

Atomic Lattices in the FCC Crystal Structure

What you are looking at...

This VRML world shows sections of the atomic lattice layers which make up the Face Centered Cubic crystal structure in metallic solids.

There are three unique layers which are repeated sequentially throughout the structure. The base layer is colored blue. The next layer is green, and is translated relative to the blue layer so that it covers half of the gaps in this layer. The last layer is red, and is translated relative to both the blue and green layers such that the remaining gaps in the blue layer are covered. These layers are then repeated (red, green, blue, red, green, blue, etc...) to create the crystal. The unit cell for this structure has cubic boundaries.

The Animation

First, check that you can see the reflective sites on each sphere caused by your 'headlight'. These manifest as fuzzy white circles on the surfaces of the spheres. If you cannot see these, then turn your headlights on, usually by selecting the Headlight On option from a menu in your browser or plugin.

To start the animation, simply click on the lattices. You will see the top two layers move aside, and then replace themselves, showing their alignment relative to the bottom layer. This animation will repeat itself every time you click on the lattices, so you can also try viewing the structure from below and on the sides. If you get lost or stuck, simply select Plan from the view menu and you will return to the startup view.

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