Electrostatic Potential Energy of an ion

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the electrostatic potential energy of an ion in the CsCl lattice using the formula U_{c} = -\alpha\frac{e^{2}}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}R}. The value of α for the body-centered cubic (bcc) lattice is established as 1.7627. The correct expression for the potential energy is confirmed as U_{c} = -\frac{e^{2}}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}R}(8 - \frac{6}{2/\sqrt{3}} + \frac{24}{\sqrt{11/3}}), which aligns with the example provided for the face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice in NaCl. The user successfully resolves their query regarding the derivation of the terms involved.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electrostatic potential energy calculations
  • Familiarity with lattice structures, specifically body-centered cubic (bcc) and face-centered cubic (fcc)
  • Knowledge of constants such as e (elementary charge) and ε₀ (vacuum permittivity)
  • Ability to manipulate mathematical expressions involving square roots and fractions
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of electrostatic potential energy in different lattice structures
  • Learn about the significance of the Madelung constant in ionic crystals
  • Explore the differences between bcc and fcc lattice structures in detail
  • Investigate the application of electrostatic potential energy in solid-state physics
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Students and professionals in physics, particularly those specializing in solid-state physics, materials science, or ionic crystal structures, will benefit from this discussion.

mateomy
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Working from Krane's Modern Physics 11.5

Calculate the first 3 contributions to the electrostatic potential energy of an ion in the CsCl lattice.

I believe the formula I'm supposed to use is
<br /> U_{c}\,=\,-\alpha\frac{e^{2}}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}R}<br />

Just from looking in the chapter I can see this is a bcc type lattice with an \alpha of 1.7627, but I'm not sure how they're getting the answer in the back of the book which is;
<br /> U_{c}\,=\,-\frac{e^{2}}{4\pi\epsilon_{0}R}\left(8-\frac{6}{2/\sqrt{3}} + \frac{24}{\sqrt{11/3}}\right)<br />
There's an example in the book showing the same procedure for an fcc lattice (NaCl) and that converging term is,
<br /> 6-\frac{12}{\sqrt{2}}+\frac{8}{\sqrt{3}}-\ldots<br />
but it doesn't derive it, so I'm not really sure how they get it.

Just looking for a few pointers, thanks.
 
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Figured it out.
 

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