Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-chemistry-a-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2023/paper-2/a9/b/vi/solution
Past exam of the chemistry A course of the University of Cambridge 2023 Paper 2 A9 b vi Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
There are primitive cells and therefore lattice points. The specified reciprocal-space density counts distinct allowed wavevectors; each supports two electron spin states. Filling the disk at zero temperature givesUsing and ,The circle fills a fraction of the first-zone area, while one spin-degenerate band has two states per primitive cell; these give the same result. A single-spin count would instead be , omitting the physical twofold spin degeneracy of this model. The circle has only just reached the sides, so the zone corners remain unfilled: first contact does not mean filling the entire first band.
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