The properties of glass explained by the bonding of Silicon and Oxygen.

The properties of glass lie within the bonding structure of silicon. Silicon cannot form strong ð bonds with oxygen by using its valency 3p orbitals. This is because of the large nuclear radius of the silicon atom and its orbitals which results in a less effective overlap with the smaller oxygen orbitals. The silicon atoms then form four single bonds to satisfy the octet rule. Therefore, instead of forming a SiO2 covalent molecule, it will form a SiO4 covalent network (although it is still represented in its molecular state as SiO2). The silicon atom is based at the centre of a tetrahe…