In brass, zinc atoms whose radii closely match copper's occupy regular lattice sites in place of copper atoms. How should brass be classified?

Core Concept

Alloys divide into two geometries based on solute size. When guest atoms come within roughly fifteen percent of the host atom's radius, they replace host atoms directly at lattice sites, defining a substitutional alloy. Copper and zinc radii match closely, so zinc simply stands in for copper throughout the uniform crystal. The shared electron sea keeps the solid conductive and malleable, hallmarks of metallic bonding.