The compound formed by elements X and Y crystallizes in cubic structur...
The compound formed by elements X and Y crystallizes in cubic structur...
Explanation:
The given compound has a cubic structure in which X atoms are at the corners and Y atoms are at the face center. This means that the unit cell of the compound contains one X atom and one Y atom.
To find the formula of the compound, we need to determine the ratio of X and Y atoms in the unit cell.
Ratio of X atoms:
There is one X atom at each of the eight corners of the cube. Therefore, the contribution of X atoms to the unit cell is 1 x 1/8 = 1/8.
Ratio of Y atoms:
There is one Y atom at the center of each face of the cube. There are six faces in a cube. Therefore, the contribution of Y atoms to the unit cell is 1 x 6/8 = 3/4.
Ratio of X to Y atoms:
To get the ratio of X to Y atoms, we need to divide the contribution of X atoms by the contribution of Y atoms.
(X atoms)/(Y atoms) = (1/8)/(3/4) = 1/6
This means that the formula of the compound is XY3, as there is one X atom for every three Y atoms in the compound.
Therefore, the correct answer is option C, XY3.