crystal lattice and unit cell

asdf1

what's the difference between those two?

assyrian_77

A lattice is a (idealized) structure of crystals where each lattice point represent an identical group of atoms. A group is sometimes called a basis. One can form basis vectors with which all lattice point positions can be expressed. The unit cell (I guess you mean the primitive cell) is the volume defined by the set of basis vectors. This is the smallest volume; there are no cells with smaller volumes.

Hopefully this was of help. If not, don't hesitate to ask.

Gokul43201

What does your textbook or class notes say ?

asdf1

my textbook says:
unit cell: crystal structure that's the smallest group of atoms possessing
the symmetry of the crystal
lattice: orderly array of points in space

so does that mean that the unit cell is part of the lattice?

Gokul43201

Yes, it is the smallest "representative" part.

asdf1

ok, thanks!!!