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A hexagon shape present in X-ray crystallography indicates? a) The presence of impurities

b) A disordered crystal lattice
c) A well-ordered crystal lattice
d) Experimental error

User FABBRj
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Final answer:

A hexagon shape in X-ray crystallography indicates a well-ordered crystal lattice, as the shape reflects the symmetry of the crystalline structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

A hexagon shape present in X-ray crystallography typically indicates c) A well-ordered crystal lattice. In X-ray crystallography, diffraction patterns are produced by the scattering of X-rays from crystals. The pattern observed, which can include various shapes such as hexagons, reflects the symmetry of the crystalline structure of the sample.

A well-defined and regular pattern, such as a hexagon, suggests that the atoms, ions, or molecules in the crystal are arranged in a regular and repeating pattern, indicative of a well-ordered lattice. On the other hand, crystal defects such as vacancies, interstitial atoms, and substitution impurities can disrupt the regular arrangement, but these usually do not produce well-defined geometric shapes like hexagons in the diffraction pattern.

User Kozue
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