Question

The number of nearest neighbours in a BCC unit cell is:

• A. \( 12 \)
• B. \( 8 \)
• C. \( 6 \)
• D. \( 4 \)

Hint:

In a BCC unit cell, the atom at the center is surrounded by 8 nearest neighbors at the cube’s corners.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

A Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) unit cell features an atom at the cube's center and eight atoms at its corners. The central atom touches the eight corner atoms, which are its nearest neighbors. Consequently, the coordination number for a BCC lattice is \( 8 \). Coordination numbers for other structures are: \( 12 \) for Face-Centered Cubic (FCC) and \( 6 \) for Simple Cubic. A coordination number of \( 4 \) is not associated with BCC. Final Answer: \[ \boxed{8} \]