Question

Industrial chemists have to understand the chemistry of oxides.

For example, silicon dioxide is used in glass making and carbon monoxide is used in the
extraction of iron from iron ore.
Period 3 elements bond with oxygen to form oxides.
The type of bonding in these oxides depends on the electronegativity of each element in the
oxide.The table shows the electronegativity of some period 3 elements, as well as for oxygen.
element
electronegativity
of element
magnesium
1.31
silicon
1.90
sulfur
2.58
oxygen
3.44
Explain how bonding in the oxides of elements in period 3 changes across the period.

Answer 1

The bonding in Period 3 oxides transitions from ionic to covalent as electronegativity increases across the period, with magnesium oxide being ionic and silicon dioxide forming a network structure with covalent bonds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The bonding in the oxides of elements in Period 3 changes across the period due to differences in electronegativity between the elements and oxygen. At the beginning of the period, elements like magnesium have low electronegativities (1.31) compared to oxygen (3.44), leading to ionic bonding in oxides such as MgO. As we move across the period, the electronegativity of elements increases, such as silicon (1.90) and sulfur (2.58), leading to polar covalent bonding in their respective oxides, SiO2 and SO2 or SO3. Silicon dioxide exhibits a network structure with Si-O single bonds, while sulfur forms multiple strong bonds due to d-orbital interactions. Thus, the type of oxide bonding transitions from ionic to covalent across the period.