What Is a Crystal?

Chemistry Definition and Examples

Blue quartz crystal
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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated July 03, 2019

A crystal is a substance in which the constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating three-dimensional pattern. Most crystals are solids.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is a Crystal?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/definition-of-crystal-604416. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 26). What Is a Crystal? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-crystal-604416 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is a Crystal?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-crystal-604416 (accessed February 28, 2021).