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What type of silicate is the mineral mica?

a. chain silicate
b. framework silicate
c. sheet silicate
d. ring silicate

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Mica is a silicate mineral that belongs to the category of sheet silicates, where silicon-oxygen tetrahedra are arranged in flat, stacked layers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mineral mica is a silicate compound containing silicon-oxygen bonds. In the classification of silicate minerals, mica falls under the category of sheet silicates, also known as phyllosilicates. This is because the silicate tetrahedra in mica are structured in flat sheets or layers that are stacked upon one another. Each tetrahedral sheet is connected to others via weak van der Waals forces, which allows for the characteristic cleavage into thin, flexible sheets that mica is known for.

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