GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The building block of all of these minerals is the silica tetrahedron, a combination of four oxygen atoms and one silicon atom.

Detailed explanation-2: -All silicate minerals share a common building block: the silica tetrahedron. This four-sided molecule consists of four oxygen (O) atoms and one silicon (Si) atom.

Detailed explanation-3: -Silicate minerals are the most common family of minerals on earth. These minerals are all composed of Si (silicon) and O (oxygen). 1. A tetrahedron is a geometric shape having four triangular-shaped sides.

Detailed explanation-4: -Silicates are salts containing anions of silicon (Si) and oxygen. There are many types of silicates, because the silicon-to-oxygen ratio can vary widely. In all silicates, however, silicon atoms are found at the centres of tetrahedrons with oxygen atoms at the corners. The silicon…

Detailed explanation-5: -The ratio of silicon to oxygen is 1:2, and in its pure form, its chemical formula is SiO2, and the mineral is quartz. There are no ionic bonds. All oxygens are satisfied through covalent bonds with silicon. And none of these bonds align in a plane in the crystal structure, so there is no cleavage.