X-ray diffraction is a technique used to determine the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal. In an X-ray diffraction experiment, a sample is placed into the center of an instrument and illuminated with a beam of X-rays. The X-ray tube and detector move in a synchronized motion, and the signal coming from the sample is recorded in a graph where peaks are observed related to the atomic structure of the sample. Most materials are made up of many small crystals, and each of these crystals is composed of a regular arrangement of atoms. The atomic planes of the crystal act on the X-rays in exactly the same manner as does a uniformly ruled diffraction grating on a beam of light. The X-rays reflect off atomic planes in the crystal that are a distance d apart, and the X-rays reflecting off two different planes must interfere constructively to form an interference pattern. By observing the interference pattern, the internal structure of the crystal can be deduced. X-ray diffraction is a versatile non-destructive analytical technique used to analyze physical properties such as phase composition, crystal structure, and crystallite size. It is primarily used for phase identification of a crystalline material and can provide information about the arrangement of atoms within a crystal. X-ray powder diffraction is most widely used for the identification of unknown crystalline materials, such as minerals and inorganic compounds.