Why is silicon dioxide sio2 and not sio4?

Answer 1

1) di stands for two

2) silicon has 4 valence electrons & oxygen has 2.

Answer 2

Oh, dude, it's like this... so, silicon dioxide is SiO2 because silicon, being a group 4 element, forms 4 bonds with oxygen atoms. If it were SiO4, that would mean silicon is forming 4 bonds with just one oxygen atom, which is like unheard of in the chemistry world. So yeah, SiO2 it is!

Answer 3

Well, honey, silicon dioxide is SiO2 because silicon likes to keep things simple. It's all about stability, and having two oxygen atoms cozying up to one silicon atom is just the perfect arrangement for a happy little molecule. So, SiO4 would just be too crowded for silicon's taste.

Answer 4

Well, imagine silicon dioxide as a happy little molecule, with one silicon atom and two oxygen atoms holding hands together. They form a stable and balanced structure as SiO2. Adding another oxygen atom would upset this harmony and make the molecule less stable. Nature has a way of creating beautiful and stable structures, just like we do in our paintings.

Answer 5

Silicon dioxide is represented as SiO2 because silicon typically forms covalent bonds with oxygen atoms in a 1:2 ratio. Each silicon atom can effectively share electrons with two oxygen atoms to achieve a stable octet configuration, resulting in the SiO2 molecular formula. If silicon were to form a SiO4 structure, it would require a significantly different bonding arrangement that is energetically unfavorable based on the electron configuration and bonding tendencies of silicon and oxygen atoms.

Answer 6

donno