· The magnitude and direction of the Burgers vector may be determined by the method illustrated.
· A circuit is made around the dislocation line linking atom sites that have the coordination number of the ideal crystal.
· This circuit is transferred to an ideal crystal, and a closure failure is obtained. 
· The magnitude and direction of b are given by this closure failure.
· This definition ensures that b is a unit vector of the crystal structure.
· In general, it will be the shortest vector linking atoms in the lattice.