1.

Explain the following :Why does the element silicon, not form a graphite like structure whereas carbon does.

Answer»

In graphite, carbon is sp2 -hybridised and each carbon is linked to three other carbon atoms by forming hexagonal rings. Each carbon is now left with one unhybridised p-orbital which undergoes sideways overlap to form three p-p double bonds. Thus, graphite has twodimensional sheet like (layered) structure consisting of a number of benzene rings fused together. Silicon, on the other hand, does not form an analogue of carbon because of the following reason: 

Due to bigger size and smaller electronegativity of Si than C, it does not undergo sp2 - hybridisation and hence it does not form p-p double bonds needed for graphite like structure. Instead, it prefers to undergo only sp3 -hybridisation and hence silicon has diamond like three ‐ dimensional network



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