Silicon has 4 elements in the outermost orbit. In forming the bonds,

Options

A. It gains electrons
B. It loses electrons
C. It shares electrons
D. None of these

Answer

To solve the question regarding silicon and its bonding behavior, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Electron Configuration of Silicon:**
- Silicon (Si) has an atomic number of 14. Its electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p².
- This means that silicon has 4 electrons in its outermost shell (3s² 3p²).

2. **Determine the Need for Bonding:**
- To achieve a stable electronic configuration, silicon needs to have 8 electrons in its outermost shell (octet rule).
- Since it has 4 electrons, it needs 4 more electrons to complete its octet.

3. **Analyze Bonding Options:**
- Silicon can either gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve stability.
- Gaining or losing 4 electrons is not favorable due to high energy requirements and instability.

4. **Conclusion on Bonding Behavior:**
- The most favorable option for silicon to achieve a stable configuration is to **share** its 4 outer electrons with other atoms.
- This sharing of electrons typically occurs in covalent bonds, where silicon can form bonds with other nonmetals, such as in silicon tetrafluoride (SiF₄).

5. **Final Answer:**
- Therefore, in forming bonds, silicon shares its electrons.