Centrosymmetry

/ˌsentrəˈsɪmətri/ noun

Definition

The quality or property of having symmetry about a central point in geometry and crystallography.

Etymology

From Latin 'centrum' + Greek 'symmetria'. Coined in crystallographic science during the early 20th century to describe a specific type of structural symmetry.

Kelly Says

When scientists discovered that many crystals have perfect centrosymmetry, it helped them understand why certain minerals have such strikingly beautiful and regular shapes—the atoms are arranged like a perfect mirror around a center point.

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