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polymorphism (crystallography)

The existence of different crystal structures with the same chemical composition. If only one chemical element is present, the forms are called allotropes. Graphite and diamond are allotropes of carbon, whereas quartz and cristobalite are polymorphs of silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2). Although properties are different in these forms, reversible transformations, which involve small shifts in atom positions and no bulk transport of material, are common. The quartz transformation at 1063°F (573°C) is a reversible, atom-displacement transformation.

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