Question:
Catenation is the ability of an atom to form bonds with other atoms of the same element. It is exhibited by both carbon and silicon. Compare the ability
of catenation of the two elements. Give reasons.
Solution:
The tendency to show catenation is very small in case of Si as compared to C although both the elements belong to the same group (14). This is
because of greater atomic size of Si atom (118 pm) than that of carbon (77 pm). As a result, the strength of Si—Si bond is less as compared to that
of C—C bond. This means that lesser number of Si atoms can be linked to each other by covalent bonds as compared to carbon atoms.