Which type of spherical packing has the most unused space?
A)body-centered cubic
B)cubic closest-packed
C)cubic closest-packed and hexagonal closest-packed
D)simple cubic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Simple cubic packing has the most unused space or voids between the spheres. In a simple cubic lattice, the packing efficiency is only about 52.4%, leaving nearly half of the space unoccupied between the spheres. Body-centered cubic has a packing efficiency of 68%, while both cubic closest-packed and hexagonal closest-packed have a packing efficiency of 74%. Therefore, D is the best choice.

Which Type of Spherical Packing Has the Most Unused Space