Final answer:
Serpentine is a phyllosilicate mineral with sheets of silicate tetrahedra linked together by magnesium or iron cations. It is a common silicate structure that comprises a significant part of the Earth's crust.
Step-by-step explanation:
Serpentine is a type of silicate mineral that falls into the category of phyllosilicates. Phyllosilicates are characterized by sheets of silicate tetrahedra that are connected in two-dimensional planes. Serpentine specifically has a structure where each tetrahedron shares three of its oxygen atoms with adjacent tetrahedra, forming a sheet-like arrangement. These sheets of tetrahedra in serpentine are linked together by bonds to magnesium or iron cations.
Due to the way the silicate tetrahedra are arranged in serpentine, it can be part of the broader class of minerals used in both natural and artificial materials, important for various technological and artistic activities. In the Earth's crust, silicates, including serpentine, are abundant and form approximately 90% of the crust, being made up of SiO4-based material.