X-ray Diffraction: Principles, Instrumentation, and Applications

Question 1

According to Bragg's law, the condition for constructive interference in X-ray diffraction is:

Accepted Answer

2d sin θ = nλ

Answer

2d cos θ = nλ

Answer

d cos θ = λ

Answer

d sin θ = λ

Question 2

In X-ray diffraction, the type of radiation used is:

Accepted Answer

Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 0.01 and 10 nanometers

Answer

Acoustic waves

Answer

Ultrasound waves

Question 3

Which of the following is an application of X-ray diffraction in materials characterization?

Accepted Answer

Determining the atomic arrangement in crystals

Answer

Analyzing the chemical composition of organic molecules

Answer

Measuring surface tension

Answer

Measuring viscosity

Question 4

The instrument used to measure X-ray diffraction patterns is called a:

Accepted Answer

Diffractometer

Answer

Calorimeter

Answer

Spectrometer

Answer

Microscope

Question 5

Bragg's law relates the following parameters:

Accepted Answer

d-spacing, wavelength of X-rays, and diffraction angle

Answer

Lattice parameters, atomic mass, and density

Answer

Electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility

Question 6

X-ray diffraction can provide information about which of the following crystallographic properties?

Accepted Answer

Lattice parameters and atomic positions

Answer

Electrical conductivity

Answer

Density

Question 7

In an X-ray diffraction experiment, the X-ray source is primarily responsible for:

Accepted Answer

Generating a beam of X-rays

Answer

Filtering out unwanted radiation

Answer

Detecting the diffracted X-rays

Answer

Collimating the X-ray beam

Question 8

The purpose of using a monochromator in X-ray diffraction is to:

Accepted Answer

Obtain a beam of X-rays with a single wavelength

Answer

Filter out unwanted radiation

Answer

Increase the intensity of the X-ray beam

Answer

Collimate the X-ray beam

Question 9

Which of the following materials is suitable for characterization using X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Crystalline solids

Answer

Liquids

Answer

Gases

Answer

Amorphous polymers

Question 10

How does X-ray diffraction help identify different phases in a material sample?

Accepted Answer

By analyzing the positions of peaks in the diffraction pattern

Answer

By measuring the strength of diffracted beams

Answer

By directly determining the crystal structure of each phase

Answer

By measuring the sample's density

Question 11

Which of the following is a crucial component of an X-ray diffractometer?

Accepted Answer

X-ray tube

Answer

Electron detector

Answer

Ultrasonic transducer

Answer

Neutron source

Question 12

Bragg's law establishes a relationship between which parameters in X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Wavelength of X-rays, distance between atomic planes, diffraction angle

Answer

Diffraction pattern, crystal symmetry, phase composition

Answer

Intensity of reflected X-rays, atomic number of elements, energy of the X-ray beam

Question 13

What is the primary function of a diffractometer in the context of X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Measuring the intensity of diffracted X-rays with respect to the diffraction angle

Answer

Detecting the diffracted X-rays

Answer

Generating the X-ray beam

Question 14

Which of the following is a recognized application of X-ray diffraction in the characterization of materials?

Accepted Answer

Phase identification

Answer

Surface roughness measurement

Answer

Electrical conductivity analysis

Answer

Thermal property determination

Question 15

In X-ray diffraction, the distance between atomic planes plays a significant role because it:

Accepted Answer

Determines the angle at which constructive interference occurs

Answer

Affects the intensity of the diffracted beam

Answer

Provides information about the chemical composition

Question 16

Which of the following factors can influence the pattern of diffracted X-rays?

Accepted Answer

Crystal structure, presence of defects, sample orientation

Answer

Humidity, wavelength of visible light, beam intensity

Answer

Temperature, pressure, magnetic field

Question 17

In an X-ray diffractometer, a monochromator is employed for which of the following purposes?

Accepted Answer

Selecting a specific wavelength of X-rays

Answer

Reducing the intensity of the X-ray beam

Answer

Focusing the X-ray beam

Answer

Positioning the sample accurately

Question 18

Which of the following is the condition for constructive interference in X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

nλ = 2d sin θ

Answer

2nλ = d sin θ

Answer

nλ = d sin θ

Question 19

What type of radiation is used in X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Electromagnetic

Answer

Particle

Answer

Ultrasonic

Answer

Acoustic

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT an application of X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Measuring wind speed

Answer

Phase identification

Answer

Measuring residual stress

Answer

Determining crystal structure

Question 21

What is the purpose of a diffractometer?

Accepted Answer

To measure the intensity of X-rays scattered by a sample

Answer

To detect X-rays

Answer

To generate X-rays

Question 22

What information can be obtained from the d-spacing of a crystal?

Accepted Answer

Crystal structure

Answer

Chemical composition

Answer

Density

Answer

Hardness

Question 23

What is the difference between powder diffraction and single-crystal diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Powder diffraction uses a polycrystalline sample, while single-crystal diffraction uses a monocrystalline sample

Answer

Powder diffraction uses higher energy X-rays, while single-crystal diffraction uses lower energy X-rays

Question 24

What are the advantages of using X-ray diffraction for materials characterization?

Accepted Answer

Non-destructive, provides detailed structural information

Answer

Inexpensive, easy to perform

Answer

Can be used to characterize any type of material

Question 25

What is residual stress and how can it be measured using X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Internal stress within a material, measured by analyzing the shift in diffraction peaks

Answer

External force applied to a material, measured by analyzing the strain in the material

Answer

Chemical composition of a material, measured by analyzing the elemental composition of the material

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a potential limitation of X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Can be used to characterize all types of materials

Answer

Can be affected by sample preparation and environmental factors

Answer

Can provide only qualitative information about a material

Answer

Requires specialized equipment and expertise

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a type of X-ray diffraction pattern?

Accepted Answer

Circular pattern

Answer

Debye-Scherrer pattern

Answer

Laue pattern

Answer

Powder pattern

Question 28

Bragg's law relates the:

Accepted Answer

Wavelength of X-rays, distance between atomic planes, and angle of diffraction

Answer

Type of X-ray source, detector sensitivity, and sample orientation

Answer

Intensity of X-rays, crystal structure, and sample thickness

Question 29

Which of the following techniques can be used to determine the crystal structure of a material using X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction

Answer

X-ray fluorescence

Answer

Electron microscopy

Answer

Neutron diffraction

Question 30

X-ray diffraction is used in phase identification because it can:

Accepted Answer

Distinguish between different crystal structures

Answer

Determine the chemical composition of a sample

Answer

Measure the thickness of a sample

Answer

Detect the presence of defects in a sample

Question 31

Which of the following factors affects the intensity of an X-ray diffraction peak?

Accepted Answer

Atomic scattering factor

Answer

X-ray wavelength

Answer

Detector efficiency

Answer

Sample thickness

Question 32

What is the purpose of a monochromator in an X-ray diffractometer?

Accepted Answer

To select a specific wavelength of X-rays

Answer

To protect the detector from X-rays

Answer

To focus the X-ray beam

Answer

To measure the intensity of X-rays

Question 33

What information can be obtained from the width of an X-ray diffraction peak?

Accepted Answer

Crystallite size

Answer

Lattice strain

Answer

Chemical composition

Answer

Crystal orientation

Question 34

Which of the following is the most common type of X-ray detector used in X-ray diffraction?

Accepted Answer

Scintillation detector

Answer

Semiconductor detector

Answer

Gas-filled detector

Question 35

What is the purpose of a collimator in an X-ray diffractometer?

Accepted Answer

To define the beam path and reduce scattering

Answer

To select a specific wavelength of X-rays

Answer

To protect the detector from X-rays

Answer

To focus the X-ray beam

Question 36

What is the primary reason X-rays are used in diffraction studies?

Accepted Answer

X-rays have wavelengths comparable to atomic spacing in materials.

Answer

X-rays are easily generated and can be focused accurately.

Answer

X-rays are highly energetic and can penetrate most materials.

Question 37

Bragg's Law describes the relationship between the angle of diffraction, wavelength, and what other parameter?

Accepted Answer

Interplanar spacing (d) of the crystal lattice.

Answer

Intensity of the incident X-ray beam.

Answer

Number of atoms per unit cell.

Answer

Atomic radius of the constituent elements.

Question 38

A diffractometer produces a diffraction pattern. What information can be extracted from the peak positions in the pattern?

Accepted Answer

Interplanar spacing of the crystal lattice.

Answer

Chemical composition of the material.

Answer

Residual stress present in the material.

Answer

Atomic bonding type within the material.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT a typical application of X-ray diffraction in materials science?

Accepted Answer

Determining the electrical conductivity of a material.

Answer

Measuring the grain size of a polycrystalline material.

Answer

Identifying the phases present in a material.

Question 40

A material with a higher degree of crystallinity will generally produce a diffraction pattern with:

Accepted Answer

Sharper, more intense peaks.

Answer

No significant difference in peak shape or intensity.

Answer

Broader, less intense peaks.

Answer

More peaks, but with lower intensity.

Question 41

The 'd-spacing' in Bragg's Law refers to:

Accepted Answer

The distance between parallel crystal planes.

Answer

The diameter of the atoms in the crystal lattice.

Answer

The distance between the X-ray source and the sample.

Answer

The distance between adjacent atoms in the crystal lattice.

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT a factor that influences the intensity of a diffraction peak?

Accepted Answer

The wavelength of the incident X-ray beam.

Answer

The scattering factor of the atoms.

Answer

The number of atoms in the unit cell.

Answer

The orientation of the crystal lattice with respect to the incident beam.

Question 43

In X-ray diffraction, the angle of incidence (θ) is measured between:

Accepted Answer

The incident X-ray beam and the crystal planes.

Answer

The incident X-ray beam and the diffracted beam.

Answer

The crystal planes and the detector.

Answer

The diffracted beam and the detector.

Question 44

What is the primary advantage of using a powder diffractometer over a single crystal diffractometer?

Accepted Answer

Powder diffractometers can analyze polycrystalline materials.

Answer

Powder diffractometers are more accurate in determining crystal structure.

Answer

Powder diffractometers are less expensive to operate.

Question 45

How does the presence of residual stress in a material affect its X-ray diffraction pattern?

Accepted Answer

It causes a shift in the peak positions.

Answer

It broadens the peaks.

Answer

It increases the intensity of the peaks.

Answer

It does not significantly affect the diffraction pattern.