Cubic (crystal system)

In crystallography, the cubic crystal system is the most symmetric of the 7 crystal systems. The system is composed of the three Bravais lattices whose symmetry group is that of a cube.

The three Bravais lattices that form the cubic crystal system are:

simple cubic body-centered cubic face-centered cubic
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Cubic, simple

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Cubic, body-centered

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Cubic, face-centered


BCC - Body-centered cubic.

FCC - Face-centered cubic.

The point groups that fall under this crystal system are listed below, followed by their representations in international notation and Schoenflies notation, and mineral examples.

name international Schoenflies example
hexoctahedral \frac4m\overline{3}\frac2m or m3m Oh galena
gyroidal 432 O cuprite
diploidal \frac2m \overline{3} or m3 Th pyrite
tetrahedral \overline{4}3m Td sphalerite
tetartohedral 23 T

See also: close-packing

See also: Cubic (crystal system), Bravais lattice, Close-packing, Crystal system, Crystallographic point group, Crystallography, Cube, Cuprite, Galena, Mineral