Silicon

1 Pages 289 Words

Jöns Jacob Berzelius discovered silicon in 1824. It was founded in Sweden. Silicon comes from the Latin word “silicis” meaning “flint”.
Silicon has 14 neutrons, 14 protons, and 14 electrons. It is located in Period 3 and in group 14. It has an atomic weight of 28.0855 and its symbol is “Si”. Silicon’s solid state is at 287 k. It is a hard dark gray non-metal. It is classified as semi-metallic. Silicon’s atomic number is 14. The melting point for Silicon is 2577 °F and the boiling point is 4271°F it is solid at room temperature. Silicon has a density of 2330. Its electronic configuration is 2-8-4. Silicon carbide is one of the hardest elements known to man.
Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth; the first most abundant element is oxygen. Silicon makes up 25.7% of the Earth’s crust. Silicon comes in two forms, oxide and silicates. It is found in mainly in its oxide form as sand, quartz, agate, rock crystal, amethyst, flint, jasper, and opal. Granite, feldspar, mica, and clay are examples of its silicate form. It is also present in the stars and sun. The only acid able to affect silicon is hydrofluoric.
Silicon is used for things such as semiconductors and is an important ingredient in steel. Plants and animals that live in water extract the silicon from the water and se it to help make their cell walls. Silicon is used to make concrete and bricks and in solar cells. It is also the main ingredient in glass and is used for computer chips to store memory. Silicon is found in human’s connective tissues and skin. If you combine Silicon with Carbon and Oxygen you will get a synthetic rubber. Silicon costs $0.50/g....