Question

Potassium oxide (K2O) is light yellow coloured solid, highly reactive and unstable. Can
Schottky Defects exists in this solid? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Answer:This question can be answered in two ways, as follows:

(1) Yes, Schottky defects can exist in K2O; each defect will consist of one O2-vacancy and two K+vacancies.

(2) No, in the strict sense, Schottky cannot exist in K2O if we consider this type of defect to consist of a cation-anion pair; for every O2-vacancy created there must exist two K+vacancies