A picture of the electrostatic coordination along the (110)-plane in brucite is shown below.
Each hydrogen atom forms electrostatic field lines to the oxygen of the hydroxy-group and the oxygen of the hydroxy-group in the next layer. In addition field lines to an oxygen atom in the next unit cell are found.
This gives a total electrostatic coordination number of 5 which is identical with the geometrical model for brucite under pressure or with Ca(OH)2. The electrostatic coordination for Ca(OH)2 is also 5.
A different view and a better partitioning of the space is given if only the field lines are shown which mark the area between two different bonds.
Last Updated: 26 October 1996