diédros

Diédros refers to the geometric figure formed by two intersecting planes. These planes, when they meet, create a shared line called the edge of the dihedral angle. The angle itself is measured in a plane perpendicular to this edge. Imagine the corner where two walls meet in a room; the meeting line of the walls is the edge, and the angle formed by the walls is the dihedral angle.

In mathematics and geometry, dihedral angles are fundamental. They play a crucial role in understanding the spatial relationships between planes and are essential in fields like crystallography, where they describe the angles between crystal faces. The measurement of a dihedral angle is typically expressed in degrees or radians.

The concept of a dihedral angle can also be extended to higher dimensions, where it describes the angle between two intersecting hyperplanes. In chemistry, dihedral angles are used to describe the conformation of molecules, specifically the rotation around chemical bonds. This conformational analysis is vital for understanding molecular shape and how molecules interact. The value of a dihedral angle can range from 0 to 180 degrees.