Problem 17 - Chemistry: The Central Science

Question

(a) Draw a picture that represents a crystalline solid at the atomic level. (b) Now draw a picture that represents an amorphous solid at the atomic level.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

To draw a crystalline solid, create a lattice of repeating squares, with circles representing atoms at the intersections. For an amorphous solid, draw randomly scattered circles of different sizes with no repeating pattern, but close enough to show solid connections between them.

Step 1: Drawing Crystalline Solid

To draw a crystalline solid, start by drawing a lattice, which is a repeating pattern of points. First, draw a square and then draw another square of the same size within it, offset such that the vertices of the inner square are at the middle points of the outer square's sides. Now, draw lines connecting the vertices of both squares. Place a circle representing an atom at each intersection. The repeating pattern of atoms in a crystalline solid is represented by the lattice.

Step 2: Drawing Amorphous Solid

To draw an amorphous solid, begin by drawing several circles of different sizes, representing atoms, scattered randomly on the paper. The lack of uniformity mimics the amorphous structure. Make sure that the circles are somewhat close together, as there still needs to be a solid connection between the atoms. The lack of a repeating pattern and the irregular arrangement of the atoms represent the amorphous structure.