Silicon dioxide

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/silicon-dioxide

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chemical formula?SiO2
2. What is the primary natural polymorph?Quartz
3. Why do we use silicon dioxide to make glass?When sand is heated very hot and then cooled quickly, the silicon dioxide turns into a clear, strong material called glass. Glass lets light pass through and is used for windows, bottles, and many decorations.
4. How does silicon dioxide help computers work?In computer chips, very pure silicon dioxide is used as an insulating layer that keeps tiny electrical parts from touching each other. This helps the chips run fast and use less power.

Polymorph: A solid material that can exist in more than one crystal structure.
Amorphous: Lacking a definite, ordered arrangement of atoms; non-crystalline.
Dielectric: An electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field.
Aerogel: A synthetic porous ultralight material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component has been replaced with gas.