What is a silicate tetrahedron?

1 Answer
Ernest Z.
Dec 20, 2015

A silicate tetrahedron is a fundamental component of most silicates in the Earth's crust.

Explanation:

The silicate ion, #"SiO"_4^(2-)#, has a silicon atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms at the corners.

web.arc.losrios.edu

Depending on the particular silicates, the tetrahedra can be separate or joined in pairs, chains, rings, or three-dimensional frameworks.

Tetrahedra
(from ammin.geoscienceworld.org)

The basic building block in all the structures is the silicate tetrahedron.

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