Question

what is the hybridization of the central atom in the orthosilicate (sio₄⁴⁻) anion?

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the number of electron - groups around the central atom

In the orthosilicate anion ($SiO_{4}^{4 - }$), the central silicon (Si) atom is bonded to 4 oxygen (O) atoms. There are 4 bonding electron - groups and 0 non - bonding electron - groups around the Si atom. So the total number of electron - groups is 4.

Step2: Relate the number of electron - groups to hybridization

The number of electron - groups determines the hybridization of the central atom. When the number of electron - groups is 4, the hybridization is $sp^{3}$.

Answer:

$sp^{3}$