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Who is known as the founder of crystallography?

French priest and mineralogist (a scientist specializing in the study of minerals) Rene-Just Haiiy (1743-1822) is considered the founder of crystallography. Crystallography is the study of crystals—transparent minerals or glass that look like ice.

In 1781, Hauy had a fortunate accident when he dropped a piece of calcite and it broke into small fragments. (Calcite, also called calcium carbonate, is a common mineral and a major component of limestone and chalk.) Haiiy noticed that the fragments broke along straight surfaces that met at constant angles. He hypothesized that each crystal consisted of several layers (now called "unit cells") which built up and formed a simple geometric shape. He also found that differences in crystalline form were caused by changes in the chemical composition of the mineral. This was the beginning of the science of...

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