Question:easy

What is the total number of adjacent unit cells shared by each face particle of fcc unit cell ?

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A particle in the centre of a face is shared between two adjacent unit cells.
Updated On: Oct 1, 2026
  • \(1\)
  • \(2\)
  • \(4\)
  • \(8\)
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Picture two stacked cubes:
A face is the boundary between two cubes, so a particle in the exact centre of that face belongs to both cubes and to nothing else.

Step 2: Cross-check with the atom count:
If each face particle were shared by $s$ cells, the face contribution would be $6/s$. The corner contribution is $8/8 = 1$. Since an fcc cell holds 4 atoms, $1 + 6/s = 4$ gives $s = 2$.

Step 3: Rule out the others:
Eight cells share a corner. One cell would mean a body-centre particle. Four is the atom count and not a sharing number.

Final Answer:
Shared by 2 unit cells, option (B). \[ \boxed{2 \text{ (B)}} \]
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