Question

The classes of silicate minerals differ from one another based on how the capital Si-O molecules are linked to each other. The image below shows many of the different arrangements. What shape is the best silicon-oxygen molecule that makes up these different arrangements?

A. Tetrahedron
B. Hexahedron
C. Octahedron
D. Decahedron

Answer 1

The basic silicon-oxygen molecule that forms the different silicate mineral arrangements is a tetrahedron, with one silicon atom centrally located and surrounded by four oxygen atoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The shape of the basic silicon-oxygen molecule that makes up the different silicate mineral arrangements is a tetrahedron. This is because each silica tetrahedron consists of one silicon atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms. The silicon atom is sp³-hybridized and resides at the center, with the oxygen atoms at the corners. In a silica tetrahedron, the silicon ion has a charge of +4, while each of the oxygen ions has a charge of -2, resulting in a net charge of -4 for the tetrahedron. The various ways in which these silica tetrahedra are linked together, from single units to complex frameworks, accounts for the variety of silicate minerals.