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.
augite is an example of a single chain
framwork silicates:
oxygens bonded together at each of the four corners
making a continuous 3D framework of hexagons
for example quartz
mica is an example of a sheet silicate
Which silicates share all of their oxygen atoms?
framework
there are no bonds shared between silicate tetrahedra in olivne
in single chains, all the tetrahedra share oxygen atoms
metals balance the charges in single chains
olivine has no cleavage due to covalent bonds and no lines of internal weakness
