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The silica-oxygen tetrahedra is the building block of which chemical class of minerals?

a. sulfates
b. silicates
c. carbonates
d. oxides

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The silica-oxygen tetrahedra are the primary building blocks of silicate minerals, accounting for about 90% of Earth's crust with their varied structures.

Step-by-step explanation:

The silica-oxygen tetrahedra is the fundamental building block of silicate minerals. This structural unit comprises four oxygen atoms and one silicon atom configured in a tetrahedral shape. The silicon ion at the center exhibits a charge of +4, and each oxygen ion has a charge of -2, making the net charge of the silica tetrahedron -4. In silicate minerals, these tetrahedra can be linked together in various forms, such as rings, sheets, or three-dimensional networks. The variety of ways these tetrahedra can combine, along with the presence of different cations, accounts for the diversity within the silicate class of minerals. As a consequence, approximately 90% of the Earth's crust is composed of silicate-based materials, making them the most abundant, diverse, and complex class of minerals.

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