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An introduction to minerals and rocks under the microscope
An introduction to minerals and rocks under the microscope

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1.4 The atomic structure of crystals

The atomic structure of a mineral influences many of its physical and optical properties. This section briefly considers some of the main ways in which atoms are arranged, and how they are bonded, starting with metals, which have some of the simplest atomic arrangements possible. Variations on these arrangements provide the structural foundations of many common minerals.