Effect of Temperature on Magnetic Susceptibility of Molybdenite Crystals

Abstract

THE structure of the molybdenite crystal has been determined by Pauling and Dickinson¹ and Hassel². They found that the molybdenum and sulphur atoms in it are arranged in separate layers perpendicular to the c-axis. Each layer of molybdenum atoms has two layers of sulphur atoms on opposite sides of it. The whole structure is then built up by the repetition of composite layers each of which is formed by a molybdenum layer sandwiched between two sulphur layers. The excellent cleavage in a plane parallel to the layers themselves may be regarded as a natural consequence of the large distance between these successive composite layers. In layer structures of this type, it seems that the major portion of the primary valencies is exercised within the layers themselves, and only secondary forces hold the layers together to form the crystal lattice.