X-ray crystallography is the experimental science of determining the
atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline
structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract in specific directions.
By measuring the angles and intensities of the X-ray diffraction, a
crystallographer can produce a three-dimensional picture of the density of
electrons within the crystal and the positions of the atoms, as well as their
chemical bonds, crystallographic disorder, and other information.
X-ray crystallography has been fundamental in the development of many
scientific fields.