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Pauling's rules

Pauling's rules are guidelines that help understand how crystals form and what structures they take. The main ideas include: 1. **Coordination Number**: Atoms in a crystal are surrounded by a specific number of neighboring atoms. 2. **Charge Balance**: The overall charge in the crystal must be balanced for stability. 3. **Size and Distance**: Larger ions need more space and should not be too close to each other to avoid repulsion. 4. **Polyhedral Sharing**: Atoms can share edges and corners of their geometric shapes, influencing crystal structure. 5. **Symmetry**: Crystals tend to grow in symmetrical patterns. These principles help predict and analyze crystal formations in minerals and other materials.

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    Pauling's Rules are a set of principles that explain how atoms pack together in crystalline structures, particularly in minerals. The first rule emphasizes that larger ions are surrounded by smaller ones to create stability. The second focuses on the coordination number, which is the number of atoms surrounding a central atom. The third rule states that ions of similar size and charge tend to avoid each other, promoting stability. Lastly, the fourth rule highlights the role of bond strength in determining how different ions connect. These rules help us understand the arrangement of atoms in various materials.