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Glite Dictionary
orthorhombic

orthorhombic

1 9.7
A crystal shape that has three different straight lines meeting at right angles
  • adjective
  • /ˌɔrθəˈrɒmbɪk/
  • Specialized
: ortorrómbico
  • The ground state polymorph of RDX belongs to the orthorhombic Pbca space group 14, whereas the high-pressure polymorph belongs to the orthorhombic space group 17.

Examples

  • Crystals that are orthorhombic are often characterized by their elongated and angled forms.

  • The mineral's unique structure is classified as orthorhombic due to its three unequal axes at right angles.

  • And here again, for orthorhombic we need a convention.

  • So let's go down to orthorhombic crystals.

  • The ground state polymorph of RDX belongs to the orthorhombic Pbca space group 14, whereas the high-pressure polymorph belongs to the orthorhombic space group 17.

    Academic text (2018)

  • During the experiment, the researchers observed that the orthorhombic crystals refracted light differently than cubic ones.

Surface Forms

orthorhombic positive

Morphology

orthorhombic = rhombic (semi-transparent) = ortho + rhomb + ic

Both 'ortho-' (meaning 'right-angled' or 'straight') and 'rhombic' are technical combining forms, so the structure is clear to those with geometric background but not to average learners.

Etymology

Orthorhombic comes from ortho- meaning 'straight' or 'right' and rhombus meaning 'a slanted square' or 'diamond shape'. So, imagine three straight axes that meet at right angles but have different lengths, which is exactly why orthorhombic describes a crystal with three unequal, right-angled axes.