Question

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

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the number of electron - groups around Si

The orthosilicate anion $\text{SiO}_{4}^{4 - }$ has a central silicon (Si) atom bonded to four oxygen (O) atoms. The number of bonding pairs around Si is 4 and the number of lone - pairs is 0. So the total number of electron - groups around Si is 4.

Step2: Relate electron - groups to hybridization

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

Answer:

$sp^{3}$