mineral structures

• Silicate tetrahedra consist of atoms of silicon and oxygen arranged in a 4-faced pyramid, with oxygen atoms at the corners.
• Nesosilicates bond with silicate tetrahedra by sharing their 2 spare bonds, forming strong covalent bonds.
• Pyroxenes are single chain inosilicates, where silicate tetrahedra are joined by sharing an oxygen in each corner.
• Amphiboles are double chain inosilicates, with strong covalently bonded chains made from weak ironically bonded double chains.
• Phyllosilicates, or sheet silicates, consist of sheets bonded covalently, with double chains linked in a continuous lattice or sheet of strongly bonded hexagons.