McCaw Chemistry

Resources written by Chas McCaw for sixth form chemistry teaching and beyond.

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General interest:

Graphite Buckminsterfullerene Ice White phosphorus Benzene Cyclohexane Adamantane

Cubic:

Sodium Caesium chloride Polonium Copper Halite Fluorite Antifluorite Zinc blende Diamond

Non-cubic:

Hexagonal:

Magnesium Wurtzite

Tetragonal:

Rutile

Trigonal:

α-quartz

Triclinic:

Copper(II) sulfate

Orthorhombic:

α-Sulfur

Monoclinic:

β-Sulfur

Wurtzite 9: the conformation of the six-membered rings

In the wurtzite structure there are two types of six-membered ring: "chairs" and "boats". The chair conformation is highlighted in green; the boat conformation is highlighted in violet. Note that in the cubic analogue, zinc blende, there is only the chair conformation. Chairs and boats are also seen in the similar hexagonal structure of ice.

Go to page 10 to look at a polyhedral representation of the wurtzite structure.

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