A common oxide of carbon is CO2(carbon dioxide), a gas that plays a critical rol

Question

A common oxide of carbon is CO2(carbon dioxide), a gas that plays a critical role in life on Earth. Conversely, the same oxide of silicon, SiO2, is a rock consisting of a lattice structure with each silicon atom covalently bound to four oxygen atoms. Both silicon and carbon are group 14 elements. What explains this extreme difference in how they form the dioxide?

a) The carbon atom is lighter and makes carbon compounds gaseous while the heavier silicon atoms makes liquids and solids.

b) The smaller carbon atom can only make two bonds - preventing th common oxide of carbon is CO2(carbon dioxide), a gas that plays a critical role in life on Earth. Conversely, the same oxide of silicon, Se lattice structure found in silicon dioxide.

c) The silicon atom uses 3d 3d orbitals for this bond.

d) The lightest elements tend to form double bonds more easily than the heavier elements in their group because single bonds are much more energetically favorable than double bonds for the heavier elements

Explanation / Answer

d) The lightest elements tend to form double bonds more easily than the heavier elements in their group because single bonds are much more energetically favorable than double bonds for the heavier elements

REASON

The difference is because C is able to form p?-p? double bonds that results in O=C=O being more stable than -O-C-O-C-O-C- in 3D (i.e., C-O single bonds). This is because the inner e-s in C are the 1s^2 e-s and they are close to the nucleus. This allows the 2p AOs on C (px to one O, py to second O atom) to make close approach to the respective O 2p AOs to give good overlap resulting in strong double bonds. Consequently there are only weak intermolecular bonds between molecules of CO2 and it sublimes at -78

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