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Silicate

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	Topics Silicate Topic Home For the artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that deals with intelligent behavior, learning, and adaptation in m... androidAndroid n android is a robot made to resemble a human, usually both in appearance and behavior.... s of the 1990s science fictionFacts About Science fiction Science fiction is a popular genre of fiction in which the narrative world differs from our own present or historical reali... series , see Silicate (AI)Silicate (AI) Silicates were a race of androids created by humanity to be servants in the 1995-1996 television series Space: Above and Bey... A silicate is a compound containing an anion in which one or more central siliconSilicon Silicon is the chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Si and atomic number 14.... atoms are surrounded by electronegative ligandFacts About Ligand In chemistry, a ligand is an atom, ion, or molecule that generally donates one or more of its electrons through a coordinat... s. This definition is broad enough to include species such as hexafluorosilicate ("fluorosilicate"), [SiF₆]^2-, but the silicate species that are encountered most often consist of siliconSilicon Silicon is the chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Si and atomic number 14.... with oxygenOxygen Oxygen is a chemical element with the chemical symbol O and atomic number 8.... as the ligand. Silicate anions, with a negative net electrical charge, must have that charge balanced by other cations to make an electrically neutral compound. Silica, or silicon dioxideSilicon dioxide The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is the oxide of silicon, chemical formula SiO2.... , SiO₂, is sometimes considered a silicate, although it is the special case with no negative charge and no need for counter-ions. Silica is found in nature as the mineralMineral Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes.... quartzQuartz Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earth's continental crust.... , and its polymorphsPolymorphism (materials science) Polymorphism in materials science is the ability of a solid material to exist in more than one form or crystal structure.... . In the vast majority of silicates, including silicate mineralsSilicate minerals The silicate minerals make up the largest and most important class of rock-forming minerals.... , the Si atom shows tetrahedralTetrahedron A tetrahedron is a polyhedron composed of four triangular faces, three of which meet at each vertex.... coordination by 4 oxygens. In different mineralMineral Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes.... s the tetrahedra show different degrees of polymerizationPolymer Polymer is a term used to describe molecules consisting of structural units and a large number of repeating units connected ... : they occur singly, joined together in pairs, in larger finite clusters including rings, in chains, double chains, sheets, and three-dimensional frameworks. The minerals are classified into groups based on these anion structures; a list is given below. Silicon may adopt octahedralOctahedron An octahedron is a polyhedron with eight faces.... coordination by 6 oxygens at very high pressure, as in the dense stishoviteStishovite Stishovite is a dense tetragonal form of silicon dioxide that is formed only, so far as is known, at the very high pressures... polymorph of silica that is found in the lower mantle of the Earth, and which is also formed by shock during meteoriteMeteorite A meteorite is an extraterrestrial body that survives its impact with the Earth's surface without being destroyed.... impacts. Lack of space around the oxygen atoms makes this coordination for Si very rare at normal pressure, but it is known in the hexahydroxysilicate anion, [Si(OH)₆]^2-, as found in the mineral thaumasiteThaumasite Thaumasite is a silicate mineral with an unusual composition, Ca3Si6?12.... . Silicate rock In geologyGeology Geology anetary geology]] refers to the application of geologic principles to other bodies of the solar system.... and astronomyAstronomy Overview Astronomy is the science of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere .... , the term silicate is used to denote types of rockRock (geology) A rock is a naturally occurring aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.... that consist predominantly of silicate mineralsSilicate minerals The silicate minerals make up the largest and most important class of rock-forming minerals.... . Such rocks include a wide range of igneous, metamorphicMetamorphic rock Metamorphic rock is the result of the transformation of a pre-existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called met... and sedimentary types. Most of the Earth's mantle and crustCrust (geology) In geology, a crust is the outermost layer of a planet, part of its lithosphere.... are made up of silicate rocks. The same is true of the MoonMoon Summary The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite.... and the other rocky planetPlanet The International Astronomical Union , the official scientific body for astronomical nomenclature, currently defines "plane... s. On Earth, a wide variety of silicate minerals occur in an even wider range of combinations as a result of the processes that form and re-work the crust. These processes include partial meltingMelting In physics, mellting is the process of heating a solid substance to a point where it turns liquid.... , crystallizationCrystallization Summary Crystallization is the process of formation of solid crystals from a solution.... , fractionationFractionation Fractionation is a separation process in which a certain quantity of a mixture is divided up in a large number of smaller qu... , metamorphismMetamorphism Metamorphism can be defined as the solid state recrystallisation of pre-existing rocks due to changes in heat and/or pressur... , weatheringWeathering Weathering is the process of disintegration of rocks, soils and their minerals through direct, or indirect contact with the ... and diagenesisDiagenesis In geology and oceanography, diagenesis is any chemical, physical, or biological change undergone by a sediment after its in... . Living things also contribute to the silicate cycle near the Earth's surface. A type of planktonPlankton Plankton are drifting organisms that inhabit the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. ... known as diatomDiatom Diatoms are a major group of eukaryotic algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton.... s construct their exoskeletonExoskeleton An exoskeleton, in contrast to an endoskeleton, is an external anatomical feature that supports and protects an animal's bod... s, known as tests, from silica. The tests of dead diatoms are a major constituent of deep oceanDeep ocean Summary The deep ocean is the lowest layer in an ocean, existing below the thermocline.... sedimentSediment Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of sol... Silicates have been observed in space, around evolved stars and planetary nebulaPlanetary nebula A planetary nebula is an astronomical object consisting of a glowing shell of gas and plasma formed by certain types of star... e such as NGC 6302NGC 6302 NGC 6302, also called the Bug Nebula, is a planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius.... . They are found in both amorphous form and crystalline form, though the range of types that have been found is far smaller than those found on Earth. Mineralogy MineralogicallyMineralogy Mineralogy is an earth science focused around the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals.... , silicate mineralsSilicate minerals The silicate minerals make up the largest and most important class of rock-forming minerals.... are divided according to structure of their silicate anion into the following groups: NesosilicateSilicate minerals The silicate minerals make up the largest and most important class of rock-forming minerals.... s (lone tetrahedron) - [SiO₄]^4-, eg olivineOlivine Overview The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula 2SiO4 in which the ratio of magnesium and iron varies betw... . Sorosilicates (double tetrahedra) - [Si₂O₇]^6-, eg epidoteEpidote Summary Epidote is a calcium aluminium iron sorosilicate mineral, Ca233, crystallizing in the monoclinic system.... . Cyclosilicates (rings) - [Si_nO_3n]^2n-, eg tourmalineTourmaline The tourmaline mineral group is chemically one of the most complicated groups of silicate minerals.... group. Inosilicates (single chain) - [Si_nO_3n]^2n-, eg pyroxenePyroxene The pyroxenes are a group of important rock-forming silicate minerals found in many igneous and metamorphic rocks.... group. Inosilicates(double chain) - [Si_4nO_11n]^6n-, eg amphiboleAmphibole Amphibole defines an important group of generally dark-colored rock-forming inosilicate minerals composed of double chain Si... group. Phyllosilicates (sheets) - [Si_2nO_5n]^2n-, eg micaMica The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage.... s and clayClay Summary Clay is a term used to describe a group of hydrous aluminium phyllosilicate minerals , that are typically less than 2 μm... s. Tectosilicates (3D framework) - [Al_xSi_yO_2(x+y)]^x-, eg quartzQuartz Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earth's continental crust.... , feldsparFeldspar Feldspar is the name of an important group of rock-forming minerals which make up perhaps as much as 60% of the Earth's crus... s, zeoliteZeolite Zeolites are minerals that have a porous structure.... s. Note that tectosilicates can only have additional cations if some of the silicon is replaced by a lower-charge cation such as aluminiumAluminium Aluminium or aluminum is the chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Al and atomic number 13... , to give a negative charge overall. This substitution can also take place in other types of silicate. Some rare minerals have more than one type of anion coexisting in their crystal structures, or complex-shaped anions that are intermediate between the simple types above.