Ortorombinen

Ortorombinen, in crystallography and geometry, refers to the orthorhombic crystal system and to shapes that embody its characteristic geometry. It describes objects whose three principal axes are mutually perpendicular but have different lengths.

In the orthorhombic crystal system, the unit cell is defined by three rectangular edges a, b, and c that meet at right angles: α = β = γ = 90 degrees, with a ≠ b ≠ c. This results in a box-like, rectangular prism shape. The system admits four Bravais lattices: primitive (P), base-centered (C), body-centered (I), and face-centered (F). Compared with cubic or tetragonal systems, orthorhombic symmetry is lower, producing a range of possible crystal habits while preserving right angles between axes.

Many minerals crystallize in orthorhombic structures. Common examples include sulfur (S), olivine (a rock-forming mineral group), aragonite (a carbonate mineral), barite (barium sulfate), and topaz. These minerals can form elongated prismatic crystals, tabular forms, or compact blocks, often displaying two sets of parallel faces at right angles to the third.

Applications and relevance of the orthorhombic system appear in mineralogy, crystallography, and materials science. Understanding its geometry aids in identifying mineral species, analyzing anisotropic properties such as cleavage and optical behavior, and modeling the arrangement of atoms in orthorhombic materials. Ortorombinen thus provides a concise linguistic entry point to a widely observed crystal framework and its practical implications in science.