How many lattice points does a body-centered unit cell contain?

A body-centered unit cell contains two lattice points in total. This is due to the arrangement of atoms within the unit cell.

Each unit cell has one atom located at each corner of the cube, contributing a fraction of an atom (specifically 1/8 of an atom per corner). Since a cube has eight corners, the total contribution from the corner atoms is (8 \times \frac{1}{8} = 1) atom. Additionally, there is one whole atom situated at the center of the cube, which accounts for the second lattice point. Therefore, when you combine the contributions from the corners and the center, you arrive at a total of two lattice points in a body-centered cubic unit cell.

This understanding is foundational in the study of solid-state chemistry and crystallography, highlighting how atomic arrangement influences the properties of materials.