Published on MATSE 81: Materials In Today's World (https://www.e-education.psu.edu/matse81)

Home > Lessons > Lesson 5: Structure and Applications of Metals > Body Centered Cubic Structure (BCC)

Body Centered Cubic Structure (BCC)

Let's take our simple cubic crystal structure of eight atoms from the last section and insert another atom in the center of the cube. This new structure, shown in the figure below, is referred to as body-centered cubic since it has an atom centered in the body of the cube. Some examples of metals that possess this crystalline structure include the α phase of iron, chromium, tungsten, tantalum, and molybdenum.

A cube with spheres at the corners and one in the middle. Inside the cube there is one full atom and each corner has 1/4 atom
Body-Centered Cubic Structure
Credit: Callister & Rethwisch 5e


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