Which metal is an example of a face-centered cubic (FCC) metal?

Which metal is an example of a face-centered cubic (FCC) metal?

• A. Aluminum
• B. Iron
• C. Zinc
• D. Zirconium

Answer: (A)

Metals that form a face-centered cubic structure have atoms at each corner and at the centers of all faces, giving a high packing efficiency and easy slip along close-packed planes, which makes them typically very ductile. Aluminum is a classic example of an FCC metal, crystallizing in the FCC arrangement at room temperature. Iron, by contrast, is body-centered cubic (BCC) at room temperature (its FCC form exists only at high temperatures as austenite), and zinc and zirconium adopt hexagonal close-packed structures. So aluminum best fits the FCC category.

Metals that form a face-centered cubic structure have atoms at each corner and at the centers of all faces, giving a high packing efficiency and easy slip along close-packed planes, which makes them typically very ductile. Aluminum is a classic example of an FCC metal, crystallizing in the FCC arrangement at room temperature. Iron, by contrast, is body-centered cubic (BCC) at room temperature (its FCC form exists only at high temperatures as austenite), and zinc and zirconium adopt hexagonal close-packed structures. So aluminum best fits the FCC category.