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I was wondering why silicon dioxide tends to be a covalent bond instead of an ionic bond. Based on lewis structures, the octet rule seems to work for silicon dioxide so shouldn't it also be an ionic bond?

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  • $\begingroup$ Losing four electrons to form a $\ce{Si^{4+}}$ is quite unlikely and requires a lot of energy to do so. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 5:38
  • $\begingroup$ How does covalent bonding require less energy? $\endgroup$
    – ChemPsycho
    Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 15:55

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Because silicon and oxygen are nonmetals on the period, hence they form covalent bonds. For ionic bonding, it must be between a metal and a nonmetal.

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    $\begingroup$ You might want to add a word or two about electronegativity. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 4:39
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    $\begingroup$ "It must be a metal and a nonmetal", like ammonium chloride? $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 9:56

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