Substitutional Alloys (College Board AP® Chemistry)

Substitutional Alloys

• An substitutional alloy is composed of atoms with similar radii

  • Atoms of the substituting element can take the place of some of the original metal’s atoms in the lattice

• Brass, composed of copper and zinc, is an example of a substitutional alloy

Diagram of a substitutional alloy

Diagram of brass showing zinc atoms occupying some of the positions in a lattice of carbon atoms