Giant Molecular structure (silicon dioxide)

bonkysleuth SG

May I know if silicon dioxide, (sand) is considered "soft"?

ThunderFbolt SG

Silicon dioxide is considered hard. The main component of glass is SiO2.

nightzip SG

Eh...no leh...what I know is that most carbides, nitrides, oxides are extremely hard.

That ofcourse includes SiO2?

nightzip SG

Oh yah...notwithstanding the internal defects/dislocations/inclusions/porosity inside glass ofcourse.

Pure SiO2 would be pretty hard.

yiha093 SG

well

its definately not as ''soft'' as sodium.

qdtimes2 SG

Silicon dioxide has a tetrahedral structure like a diamond's, that's why it's hard right?

yiha093 SG

Silicon dioxide has a tetrahedral structure like a diamond's, that's why it's hard right?

no, because it has strong intramolecular bonds, like diamonds.

ThunderFbolt SG

no, because it has strong intramolecular bonds, like diamonds.

should be because of the extensive bonds in the compound that attributes to its hardness. because all covalent bonds have strong covalent bonds between atoms in a molecule. yet a lot of covalent compounds are weak because what is usually broken instead is the vdw forces.