Dissemination of IT for the Promotion of Materials Science (DoITPoMS)

DoITPoMS Teaching & Learning Packages Introduction To Dislocations Burgers vector
Introduction To Dislocations AimsBefore you startIntroductionDislocations in 2DBubble raftDislocation motionDislocation glideDislocations in 3DObserving dislocationsSummaryQuestionsGoing further
TLP creditsTLP contentsShow all content
Viewing and downloading resourcesAbout the TLPsTerms of useFeedbackCredits Print this page
PreviousNext

Burgers vector

The Burgers vector of a dislocation is a crystal vector, specified by Miller indices, that quantifies the difference between the distorted lattice around the dislocation and the perfect lattice. Equivalently, the Burgers vector denotes the direction and magnitude of the atomic displacement that occurs when a dislocation moves.

To determine the Burgers vector of a dislocation in a two-dimensional primitive square lattice, proceed as follows:

Trace around the end of the dislocation plane to form a closed loop. Record the number of lattice vectors travelled along each side of the loop (shown here by the numbers in the boxes):

Diagram showing how to find the Burgers vector

In a perfect lattice, trace out the same path, moving the same number of lattice vectors along each direction as before. This loop will not be complete, and the closure failure is the Burgers vector:

Diagram showing how to find the Burgers vector

PreviousNext