Silicon has four valence electrons, which is the number of electrons it needs to form a stable octet. This means that silicon is a semiconductor. In addition, the outermost electron shell of silicon is full and not very reactive.

Covalent bonds are the kind of bonds that occur between atoms and molecules when their outermost valence electrons are shared by both atoms. These bonds are responsible for holding together molecules in many different types of compounds, including all organic substances such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Inorganic compounds can be described as those that contain non-carbon elements (such as hydrogen, nitrogen or oxygen) as well as carbon atoms. Inorganic compounds tend to be more reactive than organic compounds because they have fewer covalent bonds between their constituent atoms, thereby allowing stronger electrostatic attractions between them due to their relative electronegativity (how much they pull electrons towards themselves).

Last modified: October 2, 2022