<p>I must be an idiot because I am stuck on this problem. This is from review questions my tutor gave me to do so I can practice for SAT II Chem. </p>
<p>"Predict whether the following bonded atoms will form ions or molecules."
___ 1. silicon and oxygen.</p>
<p>I was thinking molecules... can any one help me out?</p>
<p>Dont ask me about chem. I barely got a B in Chem class</p>
<p>yeah that would form a molecule because both oxygen and silicon are nonmetals. nonmetal + nonmetal = covalent bonding = molecule</p>
<p>One more question. Isn't silicon a metalloid? How do we know when we can distinguish silicon as a nonmetal, therefore conclude that covalent bonding is used?</p>
<p>bump to the question i posted above.
"One more question. Isn't silicon a metalloid? How do we know when we can distinguish silicon as a nonmetal, therefore conclude that covalent bonding is used?"</p>
<p>bump again to the question i posted above.
"One more question. Isn't silicon a metalloid? How do we know when we can distinguish silicon as a nonmetal, therefore conclude that covalent bonding is used?"</p>
<p>so no one can help me out.</p>
<p>To answer your most recent question, yes silicon is a metalloid. My knowledge tells me that Silicon oxide forms a covalent bond. It is just a matter of knowing this fact. Silicon can display ionic and covalent bonding. Also, Silicon is not classefied as a non-metal, rather a metalloid.</p>
<p>yeah agree with antimorph. i just know that SiO2 is covalent. it's the stuff they use in glass if i remember correctly</p>
<p>You're absolutely right, SiO2 IS glass. Also, you can tell it is a molecule from its name, silicon dioxide. Ionic substances don't have the di, tri, tetra, etc. prefixes if I'm not mistaken.</p>
<p>Covalent: O and Si both have very similar electronegativities</p>
<p>Above is the best answer.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>SiO2 is the empirical formula for a network covalent molecule more commonly known as sand or it is also in glass
Si is a metalliod
whenever anything other than a metal and a nonmetal, a polyatomic ion and a metal, or a polyatomic ion and a nonmetal bond you will know that the bond is a covalent bond
so when metalloids bond with nonmetals i'm pretty sure they are network covalent but the point is that you know the bond is not ionic when you don't see any of the 3 scenarios i mentioned above</p>
<p>SiO2 is also in sand and quartz.</p>