Catenation is the ability of an atom to form bonds with other atoms of the same element . It is exhibited by both carbon and silicon. Compare the ability of catenation of the two elements .Give reasons.

Explanation

Silicon can form chains up to 7-8 only while carbon can form very long chains .The compounds of silicon are not stable ,since they are very reactive while the compounds of carbon formed by catenation are stable .Also carbon exhibits catenation much more than silicon or any other element due to its smaller size which makes the C-C bonds strong while the Si -Si bonds are comparatively weaker due to its large size.