ORTHORHOMBIC SYSTEM

one of the structural categories systems to which crystalline solids can be assigned. Crystals in this system are referred to three mutually perpendicular axes that are unequal in length. If the atoms or atom groups in the solid are represented by points and the points are connected, the resulting lattice will consist of an orderly stacking of blocks, or unit cells. The orthorhombic unit cell is distinguished by three lines called axes of 2-fold symmetry about which the cell can be rotated by 180 without changing its appearance. This characteristic requires that the angles between any two edges of the unit cell be right angles but the edges may be any length. Alpha-sulphur, cementite, olivine, aragonite, orthoenstatite, topaz, staurolite, barite, cerussite, marcasite, and enargite crystallize in the orthorhombic system.