crystal

Introduction

CE5

Types of crystal

crystal, a solid body bounded by natural plane faces that are the external expression of a regular internal arrangement of constituent atoms, molecules, or ions. The formation of a crystal by a substance passing from a gas or liquid to a solid state, or going out of solution (by precipitation or evaporation), is called crystallization.

Sections in this article:

Introduction
Physical Properties of Crystals
Classification of Crystals
Bibliography

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Mineralogy and Crystallography