Bravais lattices
Periodic structural archetypes
Bravais lattices are the fourteen distinct three-dimensional arrangements of points that can fill space through repetition.
Named for physicist Auguste Bravais, they classify crystal structures by their symmetry properties.
Each lattice type—cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, and others—describes how atoms or molecules repeat in a crystalline solid: The mineral's structure corresponds to a face-centered cubic Bravais lattice.
systems
Of three dimensions
- hexagonalSix-edged polygon's form
- body-centeredFocused on physical form
- primitiveIn earliest form
- centeringPositioning at midpoint
applications
Study of atomic lattices
- materials scienceStudy of engineered substances
- metallurgyScience of extracting metals
- electron diffractionCharged particles bent by crystals
- crystal growthSolid lattice formation process
geometry
Six-faced solid, parallelogram sides
structure
Recurring at regular intervals
- crystal structureOrdered atomic arrangement in solids
- motifRecurring thematic element
- three-dimensionalHaving volume and depth
cubic
Of three dimensions
- hexagonalSix-edged polygon's form
- body-centeredFocused on physical form
- primitiveIn earliest form
crystallography
Study of atomic lattices
- materials scienceStudy of engineered substances
- metallurgyScience of extracting metals
- electron diffractionCharged particles bent by crystals
parallelepiped
Six-faced solid, parallelogram sides
periodicity
Recurring at regular intervals
- crystal structureOrdered atomic arrangement in solids
- motifRecurring thematic element
- three-dimensionalHaving volume and depth
rotational symmetry
Invariance under angular displacement