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Solid Crystals
Crystals are scientifically known as crystalline solids where particles are definite orderly arrangements. Many solid substances occur in nature in crystalline form, possessing characteristic geometric shapes. Translational motion is the strong internal force that holds particles within a crystal together and prohibits shape changing within the molecular structure.
Covalent Bonding
Covalent crystals form when pairs of electrons are shared with adjacent atoms. Sometimes this type of crystal is not completely covalent, but is a mixture of ionic and covalent. Covalent crystals are hard and incompressible. Diamond and quartz formations are well known covalent crystals. Quartz crystals containing impurities such as iron change color, to various shades of purple, which causes them to become amethyst crystals.
Metallic Bonding
In metallic bonding, an atom becomes stable by sharing electrons in its outer shell with many other atoms to form a single, large molecule. The atoms within the molecule move continuously, allowing metal to be formed by melting, hammering, bending and so forth. No matter the size or shape of metal, it is a single malleable molecule; this is what gives metal its strength. Metals such as iron, nickel, copper, bronze, brass and stainless steel are created through metallic bonding.
Ionic Bonding
Ionic crystals result when positive and negative ions attract each other to create a variety of cube-like formations. Ionic crystals have ions at the corners and/or faces of each series of cubes within the structure. Each ironic crystal is different in shape from another due to varying 3D lattice formations. The simplest of these -- such as those found in table salt crystals -- are hard and brittle. Cesium chloride, used for treating cancer, consists of a stronger and more complex lattice formation, making it harder and less brittle than salt crystals.
Molecular Bonding
Liquids and solids become crystallized through interaction between polar molecules. Polar molecules have one positively charged end and one negatively charged end. Charged molecules line up at opposite ends to form a molecular chain, couple, group or shape. Molecular crystals are soft and easily distorted; they are not good electrical conductors. Common molecular crystal formations are dry ice, wax, iodine and sulfur.