Crystallographic techniques atomic scattering factor

Refinement of the crystal structure is, therefore, a powerful chemical analysis technique. Unlike conventional chemical analysis, which only yields the bulk composition of the sample, powder diffraction analysis facilitates accurate determination of the occupancies of different crystallographic sites by various chemical elements, or in other words, establishes precise chemical composition of the crystal at the atomic resolution. It should be noted that the results may be considered reliable only when the difference in the scattering ability of atoms in question is significant, in addition to a very high quality of experimental data. This is indeed the case here because scattering factors of Sn and Ni are related as-1.8 1. 

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