Vacancy diffusion involves an atom moving to which position?

Study for the Materials Science and Engineering Exam. Get ready for your exam with multiple choice questions, each with detailed hints and explanations to help you succeed.

Multiple Choice

Vacancy diffusion involves an atom moving to which position?

Explanation:
In vacancy diffusion, atoms move by hopping into an adjacent empty lattice site. A neighboring vacancy is the empty site next to the atom, so the atom jumps into that spot and the vacancy shifts to the atom’s old position. This creates a chain of hops that lets atoms migrate through the crystal. It’s different from interstitial diffusion, where atoms move through interstitial spaces, and it’s not about migrating to distant sites or to surfaces. So the atom ends up moving into the neighboring vacant lattice site.

In vacancy diffusion, atoms move by hopping into an adjacent empty lattice site. A neighboring vacancy is the empty site next to the atom, so the atom jumps into that spot and the vacancy shifts to the atom’s old position. This creates a chain of hops that lets atoms migrate through the crystal. It’s different from interstitial diffusion, where atoms move through interstitial spaces, and it’s not about migrating to distant sites or to surfaces. So the atom ends up moving into the neighboring vacant lattice site.