In a simple cubic unit cell, how many identical atoms are present within one unit cell?

• A. 8
• B. 2
• C. 1
• D. 4

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the structure of a simple cubic unit cell: it consists of atoms located only at the eight corners of the cube.
2. Recognize that each corner atom is shared equally among eight adjacent unit cells, so only \( \frac{1}{8} \) of each corner atom belongs to one unit cell.
3. Calculate the total contribution of atoms within one unit cell by multiplying the number of corner atoms by the fraction belonging to the unit cell: \( 8 \times \frac{1}{8} \).
4. Simplify the expression to find the total number of atoms per simple cubic unit cell.
5. Conclude that the simple cubic unit cell contains exactly 1 atom per unit cell.