In a simple cubic crystal, each atom is shared by

Options

A. 2 unit cells
B. 4 unit cells
C. 6 unit cells
D. 8 unit cells

Answer

To solve the question regarding how many unit cells share an atom in a simple cubic crystal, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Structure of Simple Cubic Crystals**:
- In a simple cubic crystal, the atoms are arranged in a cubic lattice. Each corner of the cube has an atom.

2. **Visualizing the Unit Cell**:
- Imagine a cube that represents a unit cell. Each corner of this cube has one atom.

3. **Identifying Shared Atoms**:
- An atom located at a corner of the cube is shared among adjacent unit cells. Specifically, it is shared with the unit cells that are adjacent to it in all three dimensions (x, y, and z).

4. **Counting the Shared Unit Cells**:
- Each corner atom is shared by 8 different unit cells. This is because there are 8 unit cells that can be formed around a single corner atom when considering the three-dimensional arrangement.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, in a simple cubic crystal, each atom at the corner of the unit cell is shared by 8 unit cells.

### Final Answer:
Each atom in a simple cubic crystal is shared by **8 unit cells**.

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