Table of Contents
Can silicone replace carbon in organic compounds?
For example, the element silicon (Si) has chemical properties similar to those of carbon and thus might be suitable in place of carbon as a basis for some living organisms.
Why is silicon not as good a choice as carbon for organic molecules?
Reasons why Silicon is not used as the base of life are: – Reactions of Silicon are much slower than reactions of Carbon. – Bonds between Si and Si or between Si and H are not as stable as the bond between Si and O. – Molecules based on Si and H are not very stable in presence of water.
Can silicon form organic compounds?
Silicon dioxide, also known as silica and quartz, is very abundant in the universe and has a large temperature range where it is liquid. However, its melting point is 1,600 to 1,725 °C (2,912 to 3,137 °F), so it would be impossible to make organic compounds in that temperature, because all of them would decompose.
Does silicon have carbon?
Silicon is close to carbon in the periodic table, it has a valency of 4 (the same as carbon) and so each atom could in principle form bonds with up to 4 other atoms and could also therefore apparently be a building block a bit like carbon – and so may in principle be able to form similar structures, one might think.
What is the difference between silicon and carbon?
The key difference between silicon and carbon is that the carbon is a nonmetal whereas the silicon is a metalloid. Carbon and silicon, both are in the same group (group 14) of the periodic table. Hence, they have four electrons in the outer energy level.
Does silicon behave like carbon?
Silicon has the same number of electrons in its outer shell, meaning that it can form four bonds just like carbon. It is also very abundant, comprising much of the rock that is beneath your feet. Silicon can bind readily to itself to make Si-Si bonds just like carbon can make C-C bonds.
What if humans were silicon based?
Carbon readily bonds with oxygen, forming carbon dioxide (CO2), a small gaseous molecule that we humans exhale. Whereas silicon forms silicon dioxide (SiO2) with oxygen, which is a gigantic molecule commonly known as sand. Imagine, if we were silicon-based living organisms, we would probably be exhaling sand.
Is silicon the same as carbon?
How are carbon and silicon in the same group?
Carbon and silicon, both are in the same group (group 14) of the periodic table. Hence, they have four electrons in the outer energy level. They occur in two oxidation states, +2 and +4. And both exist as giant molecular lattices.
Why does carbon oxidize to a solid called silica?
But when carbon oxidizes–or unites with oxygen say, during burning–it becomes the gas carbon dioxide; silicon oxidizes to the solid silicon dioxide, called silica. The fact that silicon oxidizes to a solid is one basic reason as to why it cannot support life.
Can a silicon atom grow into an alien life form?
Silicon can grow into a number of lifelike structures, but its chemistry makes it unlikely that it could be the basis for alien life-forms. Indeed, carbon and silicon share many characteristics. Each has a so-called valence of four–meaning that individual atoms make four bonds with other elements in forming chemical compounds.
How can silicon be used to create life?
And instead of relying on carbon to create the molecules of life, perhaps aliens could use silicon. Carbon and silicon are chemically very similar in that silicon atoms can also each form bonds with up to four other atoms simultaneously. Moreover, silicon is one of the most common elements in the universe.