Bragg's Law Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bragg's law used for?

Bragg's law explains how X-rays reflect from the regularly spaced planes of atoms in a crystal, which is the basis of X-ray crystallography.

What is the difference between the Bragg angle and two-theta?

The Bragg angle is measured between the beam and the crystal plane. Two-theta is the total deflection of the beam and equals twice the Bragg angle.

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How This Calculator Works

Bragg's law explains how X-rays scatter from the regularly spaced planes of atoms in a crystal. Constructive interference, which produces a strong reflected beam, occurs only when the extra path length traveled by waves reflecting off successive planes equals a whole number of wavelengths. The law connects the wavelength, the spacing between atomic planes, the order of reflection, and the angle at which the bright reflection appears.

How To Use It

Enter the X-ray wavelength and the interplanar spacing in the same length units, usually nanometers or angstroms, along with the reflection order. First order is the most common in routine diffraction work. The calculator returns the Bragg angle measured from the crystal plane and twice that angle, which is the value a diffractometer reports as the detector position.

Why It Matters

X-ray diffraction is the primary tool for determining crystal structures, identifying minerals and compounds, and measuring strain in materials. By measuring the angles of the diffraction peaks and applying Bragg's law in reverse, scientists recover the spacing of atomic planes and reconstruct the arrangement of atoms.

Tips

Keep wavelength and spacing in matching units.

The diffractometer scale is usually two theta.

Higher orders need larger angles or wider spacings.

Frequently Asked Questions

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