Is silica an amorphous or crystalline solid?

Silica is generally referencing the crystalline form of SiO2. Commonly called quartz. Some glass can be made with SiO2 as well, in this case it is amorphous but not usually referred to as 'Silica' It has multiple crystalline forms. read more

Amorphous solid is a solid which lacks a crystalline structure. That is, it does not have long range ordered arrangement of atoms, molecules, or ions within the structure. Glass, gels, thin films, plastics and nano structures materials are some examples for amorphous solids. read more

Silica is generally referencing the crystalline form of SiO2. Commonly called quartz. Some glass can be made with SiO2 as well, in this case it is amorphous but not usually referred to as ‘Silica’ It has multiple crystalline forms. read more

Amorphous solids are basically the exact opposite of crystalline solids. While an amorphous solid may display some finite order in terms of the arrangement of its atoms, ions, and molecules, it will clearly lack the long-range ordered structure that a crystalline solid exhibits. read more