Which term designates minerals that are built from silicon-oxygen tetrahedra and include quartz and feldspars?

Which term designates minerals that are built from silicon-oxygen tetrahedra and include quartz and feldspars?

• A. Silicates
• B. Oxides
• C. Sulfides
• D. Halides

Answer: (A)

Silicate minerals are defined by containing silicon-oxygen tetrahedra (SiO4) that link together to form the mineral's crystal structure. Quartz and feldspars are classic examples because their networks are built from these SiO4 units connected in three-dimensional frameworks, making them common and stable in Earth’s crust. The term silicates, then, designates minerals built from these silicon-oxygen tetrahedra. Other mineral groups—oxides, sulfides, and halides—are not based on the SiO4 tetrahedral framework: oxides involve metal cations bonded to oxide ions, sulfides pair metals with sulfur, and halides involve halogen ions, none of which share the same silicon-oxygen tetrahedral building block.

Silicate minerals are defined by containing silicon-oxygen tetrahedra (SiO4) that link together to form the mineral's crystal structure. Quartz and feldspars are classic examples because their networks are built from these SiO4 units connected in three-dimensional frameworks, making them common and stable in Earth’s crust. The term silicates, then, designates minerals built from these silicon-oxygen tetrahedra. Other mineral groups—oxides, sulfides, and halides—are not based on the SiO4 tetrahedral framework: oxides involve metal cations bonded to oxide ions, sulfides pair metals with sulfur, and halides involve halogen ions, none of which share the same silicon-oxygen tetrahedral building block.