Question:
Carbon and silicon both belong to the group 14, but despite the stoichiometric similarity, the dioxides, (i.e., carbon dioxide and silicon dioxide), differ in their structures. Comment.
Solution:
Carbon can form stable pπ-pπ bonding with itself and other small atoms like oxygen and nitrogen due to its small size. it carbon dioxide each oxygen atom is double-
bonded with the carbon atom with pπ-pπ overlapping. Silicon cannot form this bonding because of its large size.