Question #223241
Which of the following statements explains why silicon dioxide has a high melting point?
A. It has a giant ionic structure with strong electrostatic attraction between ions.
B. It has a giant covalent structure with strong covalent bonds between atoms.
C. It has a simple molecular structure with weak forces between molecules.
D. It has a giant metallic structure with a strong attraction between positive ions and the sea of electrons
Expert's answer
B. It has a giant covalent structure with strong covalent bonds between atoms.
Silicon has a very high melting point due to its giant covalent structure; a lot of energy is needed to break the strong covalent bonds throughout the structure
