Projections of Cubic Crystals

Ian O. Angell and Moreton Moore

Royal Holloway College, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, England

Teaching Aims

To present numerous views of cubic crystals as an aid to the understanding of the relations between symmetry and morphology in three dimensions.

This would be suitable early in an undergraduate study of crystallography or mineralogy.

Elementary knowledge of symmetry operations (centre of symmetry, axes of rotational symmetry and mirror planes) and of the unit cell is assumed.

Models (made of cardboard, wood or plaster) of the simpler shapes would be helpful.

This could form two or three lectures in an introductory course, together with time to study the diagrams (and to make models).