# Crystal Structure Explorer Browse ~25 textbook crystal structures with space group, lattice constants, coordination, and a rotatable Three.js 3D ball-and-stick model. > Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/crystal-structure-explorer - **Category:** Utilities - **Keywords:** crystal structure, unit cell, space group, three.js 3d, ball and stick, nacl, diamond, fcc, bcc, hcp, crystallography ## Overview Rotate real 3D ball-and-stick models of the most important crystal structures — right in your browser. **Why this tool exists.** Static textbook pictures of unit cells are hard to read. A 3D model you can rotate makes the difference between *"sort of understanding"* FCC packing and *"seeing"* why each atom has 12 nearest neighbors. This explorer ships ~25 of the structures that every solid-state and inorganic chemistry course covers, rendered interactively with Three.js. **How to use it.** Pick a structure from the dropdown. The model loads inside the preview area — **drag to rotate**, and toggle the checkboxes to add the unit-cell edges, start auto-rotation, or switch from ball-and-stick to space-filling (CPK) spheres. **What's shown.** For every structure: crystal system (cubic / hexagonal / tetragonal / trigonal / orthorhombic), space group (Hermann–Mauguin symbol + number), lattice constants a/b/c (Å) and angles α/β/γ, Z (formula units per cell), coordination numbers, and teaching notes. The lattice constants are experimental room-temperature values from Materials Project, WebElements, and the primary literature. **An important scientific caveat.** A chemical formula does **not** uniquely determine a crystal structure. Carbon is diamond *and* graphite; CaCO₃ is calcite *and* aragonite; TiO₂ is rutile *and* anatase. This tool therefore shows the **most common textbook polymorph** for each formula, not a prediction from the formula alone. Real structures come from X-ray diffraction and live in CIF files. **The library covers.** - **Metals**: Cu, Au, Ag, Al (FCC) · Fe-α, W (BCC) · Mg, Zn, Ti-α (HCP) - **Nonmetals**: diamond, graphite, Si, Ge - **AX ionic (1:1)**: NaCl rock salt, CsCl, ZnS sphalerite, ZnS wurtzite - **AX₂ ionic**: CaF₂ fluorite, TiO₂ rutile, SiO₂ α-quartz - **Perovskites**: CaTiO₃ (ideal cubic) - **Layered & others**: Na₂O (anti-fluorite), CdCl₂, CdI₂, Al₂O₃ corundum **Tip.** Compare Zn (HCP, *non-ideal* c/a = 1.86) with Mg (HCP, near-ideal c/a = 1.62) — you can *see* why zinc's structure is compressed. Compare NaCl (octahedral, CN=6) with CsCl (cubic, CN=8) to see how the cation/anion radius ratio controls the coordination. ## Inputs - **Structure** (select) - **Show unit cell edges** (checkbox) - **Auto-rotate** (checkbox) - **Space-filling (CPK)** (checkbox) ## When to use - When teaching or studying solid-state chemistry, mineralogy, or materials science concepts like unit cell packing and coordination numbers. - When you need to visualize the spatial arrangement of atoms in common crystal lattices beyond static 2D textbook diagrams. - When verifying crystallographic parameters, space groups, and experimental lattice constants for common metals, ionic compounds, and nonmetals. ## How it works - Select a crystal structure from the dropdown menu, which includes metals, nonmetals, AX ionic, AX2 ionic, perovskites, and layered structures. - Interact with the Three.js canvas by dragging to rotate the 3D model, allowing you to view the unit cell from any angle. - Toggle visualization options such as showing unit cell edges, enabling auto-rotation, or switching to space-filling (CPK) mode. - Review the accompanying crystallographic data, including the crystal system, space group, lattice constants, formula units per cell (Z), and coordination numbers. ## Use cases - Visualizing coordination numbers and nearest-neighbor arrangements in ionic lattices like NaCl and CsCl. - Comparing ideal versus distorted hexagonal close-packed (HCP) structures, such as magnesium versus zinc. - Demonstrating the difference between interpenetrating FCC lattices in diamond cubic structures during chemistry lectures. ## Frequently asked questions ### What crystal structures are available in this explorer? The tool includes about 25 textbook structures, covering metals (FCC, BCC, HCP), nonmetals (diamond, graphite, silicon), AX ionic (NaCl, CsCl, ZnS), AX2 ionic (fluorite, rutile, quartz), perovskites, and layered materials. ### Can I switch between ball-and-stick and space-filling models? Yes, you can toggle the 'Space-filling (CPK)' checkbox to switch between the default ball-and-stick representation and space-filling spheres. ### Where do the lattice constants and space group data come from? The crystallographic data and lattice constants are experimental room-temperature values sourced from Materials Project, WebElements, and primary scientific literature. ### Does a chemical formula uniquely determine the crystal structure shown? No, formulas can have multiple polymorphs (e.g., carbon as diamond or graphite). The tool displays the most common textbook polymorph for each formula. ### Can I rotate the 3D crystal model? 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