Fundamentals of Crystallography

A crystal, also known as crystalline solid is a solid material whose components like atoms, ions and molecules are arranged in highly ordered microscopic structure which forms a crystal lattice that is extendable in any direction. The field of science that deals with the determination of arrangement of atoms in crystalline solids is known as crystallography. It focuses on measuring the crystal structure. It also studies how crystals are formed. X-ray crystallography, and electron and neutron diffraction are the techniques used to determine the structure of the crystals. X-ray crystallography is the method of determining the molecular and atomic structures of the crystals. Electron diffraction is the technique of determining the wave nature of electrons. Neutron crystallography is used for determining the magnetic and atomic structure of the crystals. The topics included in this book related to the field of crystallography are of utmost significance and bound to provide incredible insights to readers. It is compiled in such a manner, that it will provide an in-depth knowledge about the theory and practice of crystallography. In this book, constant effort has been made to make the understanding of difficult concepts related to the field of crystallography as easy and informative as possible, for the readers.