Why is SiO2 a solid whereas CO2 is a gas at room temeperature?

The main factor influencing a given compound's state is the strength of intermolecular forces - those need to be larger than the thermal energy for a compound to be solid/liquid. For CO2 the only type of interactions possible are the weak Van der Waals forces, whereas in the case of SiO2 the solid is stabilised by the presence of strong covalent linkage all throughout the crystal lattice.

WG
Answered by Wojciech G. Chemistry tutor

7365 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is orbital hybridisation and its relevance?


What is meant by an ion being 'polarising' - and how does that determine if something is ionic/covalent?


What is the difference between 'Electrospray Ionisation' and 'Electron Impact' during the ionisation stage in a mass spectrometer?


How does Le Chatelier's Principle allow you to predict the change of the position of equilibrium for an equilibrium reaction?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning