Introduction to Crystal Structure: Bond Strength
Dexter Perkins
, University of North Dakota
Author ProfileSummary
- This is an exercise to get students thinking about coordination number and bond strength
- It is really an application of Pauling's Rules, mostly rule #2
Context
Audience
For use in an undergraduate mineralogy class.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
- Students must know what ions and ionic bonding are
- Students must know the meaning of "coordination number"
- Students must have been exposed to Pauling's Rule #2 (the electrostatic valence principle)
How the activity is situated in the course
This is a group activity and is one of several activities that students do as they investigate the laws that govern atomic arrangement in crystal structures.
Goals
Content/concepts goals for this activity
- It is one thing to talk in the abstract about ionic bond strength and another to do some exercises to help really comprehend
- So, this exercise is intended to help students see how Pauling's second law applies to minerals structures
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
- This exercise involves observation of fundamental chemical principles
- This exercise involves analysis of fundamental chemical principles
- This exercise involves application of fundamental chemical principles
Other skills goals for this activity
- This exercise helps promote group activity
- This exercise also promotes self-learning skills
Description of the activity/assignment
- This exercise is designed to familiarize students with some basic crystal structures
- The exercise helps students fully understand the nature and significance of ionic bonds and Pauling's second rule
- It also builds a bit on Pauling's first rule (radius ratio principle)
- It is one of several related activities, all of which are intended to help students understand the nature of ionic crystals
Determining whether students have met the goals
- Students hand in their responses to the questions that are asked and so can be graded
- Additionally, we ask related questions on exams at a later time
Download teaching materials and tips
- Activity Description/Assignment (Acrobat (PDF) 22kB Jun28 05)
- Instructors Notes (Acrobat (PDF) 8kB Jun28 05)
- Solution Set (Acrobat (PDF) 75kB Jun28 05)
