Structure Of Silicon Oxide
Lesson - 2.4.2
Silicon(IV) oxide (also known as silicon dioxide or silica), SiO2, is a macromolecular compound which occurs naturally as sand and quartz
Each oxygen atom forms covalent bonds with 2 silicon atoms and each silicon atom in turn forms covalent bonds with 4 oxygen atoms
A tetrahedron is formed with one silicon atom and four oxygen atoms, similar to diamond
SiO2 has lots of very strong covalent bonds and no intermolecular forces so it has similar properties to diamond
It is very hard, has a very high boiling point, is insoluble in water and does not conduct electricity
SiO2 is cheap since it is available naturally and is used to make sandpaper and to line the inside of furnaces
The structure of silicon-oxide is similar to a diamond as even diamond has covalent bond with 4 atoms
The structure formula for silicon-oxide is Si02