Silicon

Silicon is a chemical element; it has symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a non metal and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic table: carbon is above it; and germanium, tin, lead, and flerovium are below it. It is relatively unreactive.

Silicon is one of the most useful elements to mankind. Most is used to make alloys including aluminium-silicon and ferro-silicon (iron-silicon). These are used to make dynamo and transformer plates, engine blocks, cylinder heads and machine tools and to deoxidise steel. Silicon is also used to make silicones.

Hydrogen

Identity.

Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol "Si" and atomic number 14. It is a non-metal and belongs to the group of elements known as metalloids, which have properties that are intermediate between metals and non-metals. Silicon is abundant in the Earth's crust and is the second most abundant element after oxygen

Atomic Structure:

A silicon atom has 14 electrons around the nucleus, and of these, there are 4 valence electrons on the outermost orbital. When this is made into a single crystal, it can be used as a material for semiconductor products. When it crystalizes, the nuclei share electrons and they bond with 8 electrons around each nucleus.

History.

The name silicon derives from the Latin silex or silicis, meaning “flint” or “hard stone.” Amorphous elemental silicon was first isolated and described as an element in 1824 by Jöns Jacob Berzelius, a Swedish chemist. Impure silicon had already been obtained in 1811.

Crystalline elemental silicon was not prepared until 1854, when it was obtained as a product of electrolysis. In the form of rock crystal, however, silicon was familiar to the predynastic Egyptians, who used it for beads and small vases; to the early Chinese; and probably to many others of the ancients. The manufacture of glass containing silica was carried out both by the Egyptians—at least as early as 1500 BCE—and by the Phoenicians. Certainly, many of the naturally occurring compounds called silicates were used in various kinds of mortar for construction of dwellings by the earliest people.

Paracelsus

Usage.

Silicon is one of the most useful elements to mankind. Most is used to make alloys including aluminium-silicon and ferro-silicon (iron-silicon). These are used to make dynamo and transformer plates, engine blocks, cylinder heads and machine tools and to deoxidise steel. Silicon is also used to make silicones.

  • Electronics:Silicon is the foundation of modern electronics. It's used in transistors, integrated circuits (ICs), and solar cells. These components are essential for computers, smartphones, TVs, and many other devices.
  • Construction:Silicon is used in the production of glass, concrete, and ceramics. Glass is made from silica, which is a compound of silicon and oxygen. Concrete is made from sand, gravel, cement, and water. Cement contains calcium silicates, which give concrete its strength. Ceramics are made from clay, which is also a silicate.
  • Semiconductors: Ultra-pure silicon is used to make transistors, the tiny switches that form the building blocks of integrated circuits (ICs). ICs are essential components of modern electronics, including computers, smartphones, and tablets.
Some of the benefits of using silicon are:
  • Ultra-pure silicon is essential for making transistors, the tiny switches that power our modern world. These are found in everything from computers and smartphones to medical devices and transportation systems.
  • Silicon is also a key component in solar cells, which convert sunlight into electricity. This helps us generate clean, renewable energy.
  • Silicon dioxide, a form of silicon, is a major ingredient in glass and concrete. Glass is used in windows, bottles, and other structures, while concrete is a key building material for roads, bridges, and buildings.

Sources.

Silicon makes up 27.7% of the Earth's crust by mass and is the second most abundant element (oxygen is the first). It does not occur uncombined in nature but occurs chiefly as the oxide (silica) and as silicates. The oxide includes sand, quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, agate, flint and opal.

Properties.

Silicon's atomic structure makes it an extremely important semiconductor (see crystal: Electric properties), and silicon is the most important semiconductor in the electronics and technology sector.

The physical properties of silicon include: