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?

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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?

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