coordination number

American  

noun

Crystallography.

1. the number of anions surrounding a single cation in a stable crystal structure.

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coordination number British  

noun

1. chem the number of coordinated species surrounding the central atom in a complex or crystal

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Etymology

Origin of coordination number

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

For transition metal complexes, the coordination number determines the geometry around the central metal ion.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

In this case, the number of ligands and the coordination number are equal.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Thus, an atom in a BCC structure has a coordination number of eight.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

For a polonium atom in a simple cubic array, the coordination number is, therefore, six.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

In this arrangement, each atom touches 12 near neighbors, and therefore has a coordination number of 12.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019