Why co2 is a gas and sio2 is solid

1.	Why co2 is a gas and sio2 is solid
Answer» As carbon and silicon are of same group, but carbon comes first and silicon second. As we know when we goes down a group , size of the elements increases , so they prefer to make sigma bond rather than pie bond. So carbon makes pie bond with oxygen and as we all know pie bonds are weak so co2 is a gas. But in case of SiO2 it makes sigma bond with oxygen and due to strong bond SiO2 is solid .For more clearance please the structure of SiO2 in ncert 2nd textbook , chapter p block.<br>It is all due to vander wall forces. The CO2 has less intermolecular forces. The sio2 has strong intermolecular forces or vander wall forces due to which it binds its molecules or atoms. So therefore sio2 is solid

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