Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-condensed-matter-physics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2018/1/b/solution

For the conventional body-centred cubic lattice, the crystal basis structure factor of identical atoms is
It vanishes for odd and equals for even . Thus the first powder diffraction ring is the family, with interplanar spacing .
The measured deflection is the angle between incident and scattered rays, , so the Bragg angle is . Using first-order Bragg diffraction, , gives
The mass density follows from two atoms per conventional unit cell, with molar mass and Avogadro constant :
Using as the Bragg angle would confuse with and give an incorrect lattice constant and mass density.

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