Tag: Crystallography

According to extensive crystallographic data, sucrose, or common table sugar, solidifies into a monoclinic crystal system with a P21 space group. This precise arrangement of molecules is what gives a sugar crystal its distinct shape and properties, a concept fundamental to understanding solid-state chemistry.

As of May 2025, the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) officially recognizes 6,145 unique mineral species, though that number continues to grow as new discoveries are made. This figure answers the question of how many different kinds of minerals are there, but the full story is far more complex, involving different classification systems and definitions.