Question

Why in frenkel defect, the ionic compounds have low coordination no.s ?

Answer 1

Dear Student,

Frenkel defect is shown by ionic compounds having low coordination number. This is because in low coordination compounds the structure is more open which provides sites that can accomodate interstial atoms.

Coordination number means number of neighbours. If the coordination number is less, this means that there will be less neighbouring ions which create open spaces thereby enlarging interstial sites and making accomodation of interstial atoms easy.