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Which phenomenon causes silicon dioxide (SiO2) to be an effective electrical insulator in microchips?

A)Hybridization of silicon and oxygen orbitals
B)Delocalization of electrons within the lattice
C)Formation of metallic bonds between atoms
D)Alignment of electric dipoles induced by fields

💡 Explanation

When silicon and oxygen bond, sp3 orbital hybridization creates strong covalent bonds, resulting in a large energy gap between the valence and conduction bands hindering electron mobility and charge flow. Therefore insulation results, rather than conduction or polarization effects which need different molecular structures.

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