Answer to Question #223241 in Physical Chemistry for Takam Praise

Question

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

Answer 1

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