{"id":353,"date":"2020-04-09T11:16:45","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T11:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/?page_id=353"},"modified":"2024-02-16T12:17:47","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T12:17:47","slug":"silicon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thechemicalelements.com\/silicon\/","title":{"rendered":"Silicon (Si)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Silicon is a chemical element with the atomic number 14 in the periodic table. With an abundance of 27.7% in Earth\u2019s crust, it\u2019s the second most abundant chemical element. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a member of the carbon<\/a> family of periodic table elements, this electropositive non-metal element has four valence electrons and numerous naturally occurring compounds. As the temperature increases, silicon\u2019s conductivity improves. This makes element 14 an excellent semiconductor which is an irreplaceable part of modern electronic devices. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chemical and Physical Properties of Silicon<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Property<\/strong><\/td>Value<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
The symbol in the periodic table of elements<\/td>Si<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic number<\/td>14<\/td><\/tr>
Atomic weight (mass)<\/td>28.0855 g.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
Group number<\/td>14<\/td><\/tr>
Period<\/td>3 (p-block)<\/td><\/tr>
Color<\/td>A blue-gray non-metallic substance with a metallic luster<\/td><\/tr>
Physical state<\/td>Solid at room temperature<\/td><\/tr>
Half-life<\/td>From 29 milliseconds to 153 years approximately<\/td><\/tr>
Electronegativity according to Pauling<\/td>1.8<\/td><\/tr>
Density<\/td>2.33 g.cm-3 at 20 \u00b0C<\/td><\/tr>
Melting point<\/td>1414\u00b0C, 2577\u00b0F, 1687 K<\/td><\/tr>
Boiling point<\/td>3265\u00b0C, 5909\u00b0F, 3538 K<\/td><\/tr>
Van der Waals radius<\/td>0.132 nm<\/td><\/tr>
Ionic radius<\/td>0.271 (-4) nm ; 0.041(+4)<\/td><\/tr>
Isotopes<\/td>24<\/td><\/tr>
Most characteristic isotope<\/td>28Si, 30Si<\/td><\/tr>
Electronic shell<\/td>[Ne] 3s23p2<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the first ionization<\/td>786.3 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the second ionization<\/td>1576.5 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the third ionization<\/td>3228.3 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
The energy of the fourth ionization<\/td>4354.4 kJ.mol-1<\/td><\/tr>
Discovery date<\/td>In 1824 by J\u00f6ns Jacob Berzelius<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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With the periodic table symbol Si, atomic number 14, atomic mass of 28.0855 g.mol<\/span>-1<\/span>, and electron configuration [Ne] 3s<\/span>2<\/span>3p<\/span>2<\/span>, silicon is a brittle, hard, solid non-metallic substance with a blue-gray metallic luster. Silicon physically appears as a metal, but it displays strong non-metal properties. Thus, this chemical element is labeled as one of the seven metalloids of the periodic table.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silicon reaches its boiling point at 3265\u00b0C, 5909\u00b0F, 3538 K, while the melting point is achieved at 1414\u00b0C, 2577\u00b0F, 1687 K. This member of the boron family of elements in the periodic table has an electronegativity of 1.8 according to Pauling, whereas the atomic radius according to van der Waals is 0.132 nm. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crystalline form of silicon has a diamond structure. There are two allotropes of element 14: a brown amorphous form of silicon and dark crystalline silicon. In compounds, element 14 displays a purely electropositive chemical behavior. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At room temperature, element 14 is a relatively inactive chemical element. When exposed to high temperatures, this non-metallic substance displays greater chemical reactivity. With this, the conductivity of silicon improves when the temperature increases. Since it\u2019s an uncommon trait for metals, this particular chemical property classifies silicone as a metalloid.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Was Silicon Discovered?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Silicon has been known to the predynastic Egyptians and the ancient Chinese. Natural silicon-based materials and silicon rock crystals have been used by these and other ancient societies mainly for decorative purposes, such as making jewelry beads or vases. They were also using this substance in the mortar for building homes and knew how to make glass out of sand.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first scientist who had attempted to isolate silicon from rocks was the French chemist and nobleman Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794). In 1787, this distinguished scientist attempted to reduce an oxide of silicon labeled as silica by using electrolysis, but without much luck. A decade later, Sir Humphry Davy was convinced that the hard, gray substance isolated by Lavoiser contains several other elements, so he labeled it as a compound. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another 10 years later, the French chemists Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jacques Th\u00e9nard took a closer look at Davy\u2019s compound that resembled a meteorite rock. Following Davy\u2019s conclusion, they exposed to heat a mixture of potassium<\/a> with silicon tetrafluoride, in order to isolate the postulated chemical elements. By this method, Gay-Lussac and Th\u00e9nard managed to produce only impure amorphous silicon. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1824, the Swedish chemist J\u00f6ns Jacob Berzelius (1779 – 1848) became the first among the scientists to discover silicon metal. Namely, Berzelius tried to recreate the experiment of the two French chemists, only this time he heated potassium fluorosilicate and potassium and continued the experiment with purification of the elemental silicon byproducts by using hydrolysis. This chemical maneuver resulted in the production of pure silicon. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Did Silicon Get Its Name?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The name <\/span>silicon<\/span><\/i> is derived from the Latin word \u2018<\/span>silex<\/span><\/i>\u2019 (or \u2018<\/span>silicis<\/span><\/i>\u2019), meaning \u2018flint\u2019  (a hard stone, meteorite). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Where Can You Find Silicon?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In its pure, elemental form, silicon can be found everywhere in the Universe, especially in meteorite rocks. Known since ancient times, silicon is believed to be a cosmic product of alpha-particle absorption. In nature, silicon always occurs in combination with other elements in the Earth\u2019s crust, especially with oxygen. Silicate rocks, for instance, contain both element 14 and oxygen<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silica and silicates are the most abundant form of silicon. The compounds of silicon are also widespread and can be traced in all spheres of the Earth – the atmosphere (as siliceous dust), in all aquatic systems, the biosphere, as well as in the tissues, skeletons, and body fluids of some animals. Plants require silicon for strengthening their cell walls.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the geosphere, silicon dioxide occurs both in crystalline minerals (quartz, cristobalite, tridymite), in amorphous or seemingly amorphous minerals (agate, opal, chalcedony). This lithophilic element also can be found in clays, feldspar, olivine, pyroxene, amphiboles, micas, zeolites, and ultramarines. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For commercial purposes, pure silicon is obtained by the reduction of silica (SiO2), silicon tetrachloride, or trichlorosilane with coke in an electric furnace. In the next step, the silicon pieces are grown to form cylindrical single crystals. Then, the impure product undergoes a process of refinement. China, Russia, the United States, and Norway are the world\u2019s leading countries in silicon mining and production. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Silicon in Everyday Life<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Element 14 is one of the most versatile used chemical elements. Its everyday application can be seen in a wide range of industries and branches:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n