Crystals
Classification
(aka resistance to structural change)
NOTE: This classification applies to specific transformational depths (from seed boundaries). SOS Classifications cannot be compared across different depths.
So a “resilient structure” classification for astronomical bodies cannot be compared to one for human immunity series.
Crystals appear stable due to internal symmetry, but they lack resilience to perturbation. Even slight mechanical, thermal, or chemical changes can destroy their structure instantly. Their persistence depends heavily on environmental stillness, not systemic robustness.
Type of boundary
Others
NA
Understanding the boundary
Environmental context
Crystals typically form within geological contexts, such as in rock cavities, volcanic lava flows, evaporating water bodies, or deep underground within the Earth’s crust.
In less natural (and rarer by comparison) settings, they can also form under controlled laboratory conditions or industrial manufacturing processes.
Crystals commonly indicate the chemical and physical environment of their formation.
Mechanism for determining boundary
Like many purely physical objects, some SOSt of changes in density distribution plays an important role in the formation of crystals.
A crystal’s boundary is clearly defined by its geometric outer surface, characterized by flat faces meeting at sharp edges and distinct angles. This external symmetry is a direct reflection of an orderly, repeating internal arrangement of atoms or molecules.
Associated boundaries: higher scales
(not exhaustive)
- Mineral Deposits and Rock Formations: Larger geological structures composed of various mineral crystals aggregated together.
- Geological Systems: Large-scale earth processes such as volcanic activity, sedimentation, or metamorphism that foster crystal formation.
Associated boundaries: lower scales
(not exhaustive)
- Molecular Lattices: The ordered, microscopic arrangement of atoms or molecules within a crystal.
- Atoms or Molecules: Fundamental components whose interactions define crystal structure, chemical composition, and physical properties.
Understanding adjacent boundaries (Biological types only)
Lower-fidelity copies
(not exhaustive)
NA
Higher-abstract wholes
(not exhaustive)
NA
Understanding interactions
Most commonly interacting boundaries
at similar scales (not exhaustive)
1. Surrounding Solution or Melt (Liquid or Gas Phase)
- Role: Provides ions or molecules that join the crystal as it grows.
- Timing: Continuous while the solution remains supersaturated (more solute than the liquid can hold).
- Effect: New layers form on the crystal’s surface; if the solution cools or evaporates, growth speeds up.
2. Impurities and Other Solutes
- Role: Can attach to the crystal surface and slow down or distort growth.
- Timing: Whenever the impurity concentration is high—often early in formation.
- Effect: Leads to imperfections or different shapes (color changes in gemstones).
3. Temperature and Pressure Conditions
- Role: Dictate whether the crystal stays stable or dissolves back into the solution.
- Timing: Changes when the environment heats up, cools down, or is squeezed (e.g., deep underground).
- Effect: High temperatures may dissolve parts of the crystal; pressure can force new crystal orientations.
4. Physical Contact with Other Surfaces (Containers, Rock Faces)
- Role: Crystal faces can bond to container walls or rock grooves, influencing how they grow.
- Timing: From the moment nucleation begins until full growth stops.
- Effect: Crystal may grow flat against a surface or elongate away from it, creating distinct shapes.
Mechanism for common interactions
(not exhaustive)
1. Ion or Molecule Attachment (Deposition)
- How It Starts: Solution becomes oversaturated as it cools or evaporates water.
- What Flows: Ions collide with crystal faces and stick to stable sites.
- Effect: Layer by layer, the crystal lattice extends, increasing its size.
2. Dissolution (Reverse of Growth)
- How It Starts: Temperature rises or solution becomes undersaturated (less solute than the liquid can hold).
- What Flows: Ions leave the crystal and re-enter the solution.
- Effect: The crystal shrinks or dissolves back until equilibrium is restored.
3. Impurity Incorporation (Defect Formation)
- How It Starts: Foreign ions are present in the solution alongside intended crystal ions.
- What Flows: Impurities lodge into the lattice or attach to its edges.
- Effect: Alters optical or mechanical properties—color changes or weak planes form.
4. Surface Faceting (Crystal Face Selection)
- How It Starts: Certain crystal faces have lower surface energy, making them more stable.
- What Flows: Molecules preferentially attach to less stable faces, smoothing them out.
- Effect: Crystal develops flat, shiny faces at specific angles—defining its geometric shape.