Si has an atomic number of 14. This means it has 4 electrons in its valence shell (the 3rd shell). How many other Si atoms does each Si atom bond with to form solid Si?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question states: Si has atomic number 14, which means it has four valence electrons and tends to form four covalent bonds to satisfy its octet in a solid.

Since the options are not provided in the data, I cannot analyze each listed choice. However, I can reason about the underlying chemistry.

- In crystalline silicon (Si) at the solid state, silicon atoms adopt a diamond cubic crystal structure. In this arrangement, each silicon atom forms covalent bonds with four neighboring silicon atoms, creating a tetrahedral network. This maximizes sharing of its four valence electrons and yields a strong, rigid solid.
- A common misconception is that each atom would bond with only two or three neighbors. In silicon’s diamond lattice, two neighbors would not complete the octet for many atoms, and three would leave unsatisfied valence electrons, leading to instability. The fourth bond stabilizes the network.
- Another potential confusion is conflating ionic with covalent bonding. Silicon in its elemental solid form does not ionically bond to form discrete molecules; instead, it forms a continuous covalent network where each atom is tetrahedrally coordinated to four others.

Therefore, the correct structural picture is that each silicon atom bonds with four other silicon atoms in solid silicon. If the answer option list had included something like '4' or 'four neighbors', that would be the correct choice.

Note: Since the provided data lists the answer as 'd. 4' but provides no answer_options array to evaluate, the explanation above establishes why the value 4 is correct in the context of silicon’s solid-state structure.

Si has an atomic number of 14. This means it has 4 electrons in its valence shell (the 3rd shell). How many other Si atoms does each Si atom bond with to form solid Si?Single choice

Similar Questions

Which of the following types of molecular bonds is the strongest?

Si has an atomic number of 14. This means it has 4 electrons in its valence shell (the 3rd shell). How many other Si atoms does each Si atom bond with to form solid Si?

Covalent bonds involve:

In a water molecule, two hydrogen and one oxygen atom are held together by ________ bonds.

A non-polar covalent bond is best described as:

When two atoms share a pair of electrons, they

When two atoms share a pair of electrons, they

Which of the following statements best distinguishes a polar covalent bond from a nonpolar covalent bond?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler