Would you expect silicon, which is just below carbon in the Periodic Table, to catenate to form diverse molecular structures? Explain your answer.
Ans: Silicon, unlike carbon, does not catenate to form diverse molecular structures. Carbon is able to catenate because carbon atoms have a relatively small atomic size. This enables a carbon atom to form strong covalent bonds with other carbon atoms. However, due to the greater atomic size of silicon, its ability to catenate is much lower than that of carbon.