The silicate anion in the mineral kinoite is a chain of three SiO4 tetrahedra that share corners wit β p Block Elements Chemistry Question
Question
The silicate anion in the mineral kinoite is a chain of three SiO4 tetrahedra that share corners with adjacent tetrahedra. The mineral also contains Ca2+ ions, Cu2+ ions, and water molecules in a 1 : 1 : 1 ratio mineral is represented as:
π‘ Solution & Explanation
Step 1: Hydrolysis of silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) involves the nucleophilic attack of water molecules on the silicon atom, which has vacant 3d-orbitals to accept electron pairs. Step 2: Chlorine atoms are successively replaced by hydroxyl groups, leading to the formation of orthosilicic acid: SiCl4 + 4H2O -> Si(OH)4 + 4HCl. Step 3: Si(OH)4 is silicic acid, which corresponds to option (b).