Bravais Space Lattice

Bravais Space Lattice 

Bravais shows that only 14 types of space lattice are possible.

Igure shows the 14 Bravais lattices.

The 14 lattices are ground into grouped into seven crystal systems.

Rom the figure it is clear that seven sets of axes are sufficient to construct the 14 Bravais lattices. This leads to classification of all crystals into seven crystal systems.

1) Cubic 2) Tetragonal 3) Ortho-Rhombic 4) Monoclinic 5) Triclinic 5) Triclinic 6) Trigonal (Sometimes) called Rhombohedral and 7) Hexgonal. Table 3.3.1 gives the seven crystal systems, divided into fourteen Bravais Lattices. Note that a simple lattice has points only at the corners, a body – centered lattice has only one additional point at the center of the cell, and a ace-centered lattice has six additional points, one on each face.

The Seven Crystal Systems divided into Fourteen Bravais Lattices

Lattice is defined as an array of points which are imaginarily kept to represent the position of atoms in the crystal that every lattice point has got the same environment as that o the other and hence one lattice point cannot be distinguished from the other lattice point.

Space Lattice or Crystal Lattice is a three dimensional collection of points in space. The environment about any particular point is in everyway the same.