Transistors vs breast implants

[Loren Booda]

Main Question or Discussion Point

What is the relationship, if any other than homophony, between silicon and silicone?

 

[HazZy]

silicone is a polymer of alternating Si and O bonds.

 

[radagast]

Originally posted by HazZy
silicone is a polymer of alternating Si and O bonds.

Don't forget the methyl group side chains.

monomer unit of [(CH₃)₂SiO]

 

[HazZy]

well yeah of course, except it doesn't need to be methyl groups.

 

[Another God]

Originally posted by HazZy
well yeah of course, except it doesn't need to be methyl groups.

LOL, yeah, 'of course'...because we all knew about them

 

[HazZy]

it's clear when you look at the valence of silicon and what's sitting right above it in the periodic table . however it's not 1/10 as versatile or abundant as carbon, which is why we don't see silicon based life anywhere around here .

 

[Chemicalsuperfreak]

Originally posted by HazZy
it's clear when you look at the valence of silicon and what's sitting right above it in the periodic table . however it's not 1/10 as versatile or abundant as carbon, which is why we don't see silicon based life anywhere around here .

It's clear by the valence that silicone needs a methyl or some other alkyl group? Wow, I didn't know that, and I'm an organic chemist. And I guess I should toss my geology notes, because they say silicon is a far more abundant element than carbon.

 

[HazZy]

Originally posted by Chemicalsuperfreak
It's clear by the valence that silicone needs a methyl or some other alkyl group? Wow, I didn't know that, and I'm an organic chemist. And I guess I should toss my geology notes, because they say silicon is a far more abundant element than carbon.

i was just saying that it's clear that silicone is not simply Si-O-Si-O..., which is what i said in the first reply. i never said "it's clear by the valence that silicone needs a methyl or some other alkyl group". please don't put words in my mouth...

and yeah silicon is more abundant in earth, but less abundant in the universe, i just got the two mixed up. which is just one of many reason silicon based life is not very likely in the universe. give me some slack, i wrote the last reply in math class...

 

[radagast]

Originally posted by HazZy
it's clear when you look at the valence of silicon and what's sitting right above it in the periodic table . however it's not 1/10 as versatile or abundant as carbon, which is why we don't see silicon based life anywhere around here .

Actually, you don't see them because they move slowly and are very clever.