×Elements of symmetry in crystallography include:
- Proper rotation axes (n)
- Mirror planes (m)
- Inversion centre (1, or no explicit symbol)
- Rotary inversion axes (n)
- Plane of symmetry
- Axis of symmetry
- Centre of symmetry
These elements of symmetry determine the shape and physical properties of a crystalline solid.,The symmetry elements which constitute the crystallographic point groups are:
Proper rotation axes (n) Mirror planes (m) Inversion centre (1, or no explicit symbol) Rotary inversion axes (n) Only n-fold axes where n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 are allowed for space filling 3 dimensional objectsIn chemistry and crystallography, a symmetry element is a point, line, or plane about which symmetry operations can take place. In particular, a symmetry element can be a
mirror plane, an axis of rotation (either proper and improper), or a center of inversion.The elements of symmetry in a crystal are
plane of symmetry, axis of symmetry and centre of symmetry. A cubic crystal has maximum symmetry. Plane of symmetry is that imaginary plane which passes through the centre of the crystal and divides it into two equal portions (just mirror images of each other).
One such element of symmetry is rotation; other elements are translation, reflection, and inversion. The elements of symmetry present in a particular crystalline solid determine its shape and affect its physical properties.
Crystals belonging to different crystal systems exhibit different symmetry elements. We can differentiate one crystal from the other with the help of symmetry elements. The symmetry of the crystals can be explained with the help of following three elements:
Plane of Symmetry Axis of Symmetry Centre of Symmetry 