What is the packing factor?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the definition or explanation of the packing factor, a concept often used in physics and materials science to describe how tightly objects are packed within a given volume.
Answer
Fraction of volume in a crystal structure occupied by atoms.
The packing factor, also known as atomic packing factor, is the fraction of volume in a crystal structure that is occupied by constituent particles, or the ratio of the volume of atoms in a unit cell to the volume of the unit cell.
Answer for screen readers
The packing factor, also known as atomic packing factor, is the fraction of volume in a crystal structure that is occupied by constituent particles, or the ratio of the volume of atoms in a unit cell to the volume of the unit cell.
More Information
Packing factor provides insight into how densely packed a crystal structure is. Common structures like body-centered cubic (BCC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) have specific packing factors, which influence material properties.
Tips
A common mistake is confusing packing factor with density or misunderstanding the geometrical context of a unit cell structure.
Sources
- Atomic packing factor - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
- Packing Factor - Corrosionpedia - corrosionpedia.com
- 3.2. Packing Factor — Materials Science and Engineering - professorkazarinoff.github.io
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