Question

The energy gap is much more in silicon than in germanium because

• A. it has less number of electrons
• B. it has high atomic mass number
• C. its crystal has much stronger bonds called ionic bonds
• D. its valence electrons are more tightly bound to their parent nuclii
• E. its valence electrons are more loosely bound to their parent nuclii

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

The energy gap in silicon is more than germanium because in an silicon atom, electrons are more tightly bound to the nucleus than the germanium atom electrons. This happens due to the smaller size of the silicon atom.