Predict the classification of silicon and elaborate on the reasoning. a) silicon is a noble gas and has a full valence electron shell, is chemically non-reactive, colorless, odorless, and is a gas at room temperature. b) silicon is a metal and is shiny, malleable, ductile, conducts heat and electricity, forms basic oxides, and forms cations in aqueous solution. c) silicon is a nonmetal and is dull, brittle, poor conductor of heat and electricity, forms acidic oxides, and forms anions in aqueous solution. d) silicon is a metalloid and has properties of both metals and nonmetals - it appears lustrous, but is brittle and a poor conductor of heat and electricity.

Option (D) is the correct answer.

Explanation:  

Silicon belongs to group 14 and it is placed below carbon in the periodic table. Therefore, being a metalloid, it shows the properties of both metals and non-metals.

Some properties of silicon are as follows.

explanation:

metals have excess of electrons whereas non-metals have deficiency of electrons. thus, in order to gain stability metals easily donate their electrons to the non-metals.

for example, electronic configuration of sodium is and electronic configuration of phosphorous is .

when a phosphorous atom and sodium atom combine together then sodium will donate is extra one electron to the phosphorous atom. as a result there will be formation of ionic bond between sodium and phosphorous.

the reaction will be as follows.

there, are three sodium sodium atoms and each of them will donate its one extra electron to phosphorous atom. thus, the sub-shell of phosphorous gets completely filled.  

thus, we can conclude that electrons are transferred from atoms of sodium to atoms of phosphorous. this transfer makes the sodium atoms donate one electron and the phosphorous atoms to gain one electron. as a result, the sodium and phosphorus atoms strongly attract each other.

they are both synthetic elements

explanation:

d