Question

Silicon dioxide is commonly known as:

Answer 1

We know that the silicon Dioxide is a natural compound of oxygen and silicon, found mostly in the sand. It is composed of silicon and oxygen, having the chemical formula $Si{{O}_{2}},$ or silicon dioxide.

Complete answer:
As we know, this compound has been a very serious cause of respiratory diseases in cement factory workers, when inhaled as minute particles. There are many uses of silica, for example in the cement industry, in the production of glass, as a sedative, anti-caking agent in powdered foods, in hydraulic fracturing. In the majority of silicates, the silicon atom shows tetrahedral geometry, with four oxygen atoms surrounding a central Silicon atom. The most common example is seen in the quartz polymorphs, which is a three-dimensional network solid in which each silicon atom is covalently bonded to four oxygen atoms in a tetrahedral manner.
Silicon dioxide is a covalent compound in which each silicon atom is bonded with four oxygen atoms and each oxygen atom is bonded to two silicon atoms in a tetrahedral structure. The structure of Silicon dioxide is very big in which an eight-membered ring is formed with the arrangement of alternate oxygen and silicon atoms. Silicon dioxide is obtained through several processes like mining, sand mining, and the purification of quartz. Precipitated silica or amorphous silica is obtained via acidification of solutions of sodium silicate. When Silica gel is washed and dehydrated it produces colorless microporous silica.
Therefore, silicon dioxide is commonly known as silica.

Note:
Remember that we can also get Silica fume from hot processes such as the processing of ferrosilicon as a by-product. Being highly stable, Silicon dioxide can be obtained through many other methods.