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.

Related questions
See all questions in Types of Rocks
Impact of this question
3438 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License