Which of the following is a molecular ingredient that could be used in a wall-filling material?

• A. C6H12O6 (glucose)
• B. NaCl (sodium chloride)
• C. H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)
• D. SiO2 (silicon dioxide)

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the difference between molecular and ionic compounds. Molecular compounds are made of molecules formed by covalent bonds between nonmetal atoms, while ionic compounds consist of ions held together by ionic bonds, typically between metals and nonmetals.
2. Step 2: Analyze each given compound to determine if it is molecular or ionic. For example, C6H12O6 (glucose) is a molecular compound because it consists of covalently bonded nonmetals (C, H, O).
3. Step 3: Identify NaCl (sodium chloride) as an ionic compound because it is composed of Na+ (a metal cation) and Cl- (a nonmetal anion) held together by ionic bonds.
4. Step 4: Recognize H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) as a molecular compound because it consists of covalently bonded nonmetals (H, S, O), although it can ionize in solution.
5. Step 5: Understand that SiO2 (silicon dioxide) is a network covalent solid, which is a type of molecular structure with a continuous network of covalent bonds, making it suitable as a wall-filling material due to its hardness and stability.