Crystal Lattice Lab

Crystal Lattice Simulator – Unit Cells & Packing Online

Crystal lattices are ordered, repeating three-dimensional arrangements of atoms or ions that determine macroscopic properties of solids. This simulation lets you rotate and dissect unit cells for cubic, hexagonal, and ionic structures, calculate packing efficiency, and connect lattice geometry to physical properties like hardness and melting point.

What you can do in this simulation

• Rotate 3D unit cells for FCC, BCC, simple cubic, hexagonal, and ionic (NaCl, CsCl) structures
• Calculate packing efficiency by counting atoms per unit cell and comparing to total volume
• Identify coordination numbers for each atom in ionic and metallic structures
• Expand one unit cell to a 3×3×3 supercell to visualize the extended lattice
• Compare lattice energies across ionic compounds and relate them to melting points

Concepts covered

unit cell · packing efficiency · coordination number · Bravais lattice · ionic lattice energy · crystal systems

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