Element 14 of Periodic table is Silicon with atomic number 14, atomic weight 28.0855. Silicon, symbol Si, has a Tetrahedral Packing structure and Gray color. Silicon is a metalloid element. Trivial name of Silicon is tetrels, crystallogens. The Silicon Crystal and Conversion of Solar Energy to Electricity. Although the silicon atom has 14 electrons, their natural orbital arrangement allows only the outer four of these to be given to, accepted from, or shared with other atoms. Mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. The atomic number of silicon is 14, so the number of protons in the nucleus of a silicon atom is 14. Silicon-32 atom is the radioactive isotope of silicon with relative atomic mass 31.974148. The longest-lived silicon radionuclide with half-life of 172 years. Silicon is a chemical element with atomic number 14 which means there are 14 protons and 14 electrons in the atomic structure. The chemical symbol for Silicon is Si. Atomic Mass of Silicon Atomic mass of Silicon is 28.0855 u.

Silicon is the second most abundant element in earth’s crust. It was discovered in 1823 by Jöns Jacob Berzelius. Silicon has tremendous uses including manufacturing of ceramic, glass, synthetic polymers and is an essential part of integrated circuits.

History and Discovery

Compounds of silicon were used long before the discovery of silicon. Antoine Lavoisier (1787) tried reducing silica, an oxide of silicon, to isolate silicon but failed. Sir Humphry Davy, in 1808 named the element silicium but also failed to isolate the element. The element was given its present name, silicon, by Thomas Thomson in 1817. Gay Lussac and Thenard successfully prepared impure amorphous silicon in 1811 but they did not characterize it as a new element. In 1823, silicon was finally prepared in pure form by Jöns Jacob Berzelius and hence given credit for its discovery [1]. Crystalline form of silicon was prepared, 31 years later, by Deville in 1854.

Silicon

Periodic Table Classification	Group 14 Period 3
State at 20C	Solid
Color	Crystalline, reflective with bluish-tinged faces
Electron Configuration	[Ne] 3s2 3p2
Electron Number	14
Proton Number	14
Electron Shell	2, 8, 4
Density	2.33 g.cm-3 at 20°C
Atomic number	14
Atomic Mass	28.09 g.mol -1
Electronegativity according to Pauling	1.90

Occurrence

Silicon is the second most abundant element present in the earth’s crust. It is the seventh most abundant element in the universe. Silicon is formed through the oxygen-burning process in stars. Silicon reacts with oxygen to make silicon dioxide or silicates. Silicate minerals make up over 90% of earth’s crust. Silicon is rarely found in pure form. Group of minerals composed of silicon and oxygen are named silica. Silica is mostly found in crystalline state. Silicon minerals make up 90% of the earth’s crust and it can be used industrially in its naturally occurring form which makes it cheap and easily available raw material.

Physical Characteristics

Silicon is a brittle and hard crystalline solid. It has blue-grey metallic lustre. Silicon, in comparison with neighbouring elements in the periodic table, is unreactive. The symbol for silicon is Si with atomic number 14. It has a very high melting and boiling point. At standard conditions silicon also makes a giant covalent structure like other group 14 elements of periodic table do.

Chemical Characteristics

At room temperature, pure silicon acts as an insulator. Silicon is a semiconductor at standard temperature and pressure. Silicon is inert in crystalline form at low temperatures. Its conductivity increases with high temperature. Silicon readily reacts with oxygen [2]. It reacts with air above 900-degree centigrade. Melted silicon becomes very reactive and has to be stored in unreactive, refractory material to avoid any chemical reaction.

Significance and Uses

Atomic Number Of Silicon

• Silicon minerals are used as structural compounds for instance as clays, silica sand, building mortar, stucco and building stones.
• Silicon minerals are used in making concrete.
• Silica is used to make fire brick (refractory brick) which is used in lining of furnace.
• It is used in making whiteware ceramics such as soda lime glass and porcelain.
• Silica is used in making optical fibre which has vast uses in telecommunications and computer networking.
• It is used in making fibreglass and glass wool which are used for structural support and thermal insulation.
• Silicon is used in making mechanical seals and waterproofing.
• Waxes and high-temperature greases are made using silicon.
• For medical purposes, silicon is used in breast implants and contact lenses.
• Silicon is used in making superalloys.
• Silicon is used for making silicon wafers which has wide applications in the semiconductor industry.
• Silicon is also essential for human beings i.e. skin, nail, hair and bone density of human beings depends on the amount of silicon present.
• Synthetic polymers called silicones are produced using silicon.
• Solar cells, semiconductors detectors, transistors and other semiconductor devices used in computer industry are made using silicon.
• Silicon is a crucial part of integrated circuits (ICs) which have vital importance in our electronic appliances, for instance, computers and cell phones [5].
• Free silicon is used for casting of aluminium and steel refining industry.

Health Effects

Silicon is slightly hazardous. If crystalline silica is inhaled, it may lead to lung disease such as asthma or inflammation in upper lobes of lungs. Exposure of elemental silicon can cause eye or skin irritation.

Isotopes of Silicon

Silicon has three stable isotopes; Si-28, Si-29 and Si-30. Of these three naturally occurring isotopes Si-28 is the most abundant as it is produced in stars as well as during nuclear fusion reaction. The remaining two isotopes of silicon form only 7% of the naturally occurring silicon. So far twenty radioisotopes of silicon have been characterized. Most of these radioisotopes have half-life of few seconds only. Unstable isotopes of silicon decay to form aluminium or phosphorus isotopes.

REFERENCES

[1]. Weeks, Mary Elvira (1932). “The discovery of the elements: XII. Other elements isolated with the aid of potassium and sodium: beryllium, boron, silicon, and aluminum”. Journal of Chemical Education. 9 (8): 1386–1412.

[2]. Voronkov, M. G. (2007). “Silicon era”. Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry. 80 (12): 2190. doi:10.1134/S1070427207120397

[3]. Rahman, Atta-ur- (2008-09-24). “Silicon”. Studies in Natural Products Chemistry. 35. p. 856. ISBN 978-0-444-53181-0

[4]. Jugdaohsingh, R. (Mar–Apr 2007). “Silicon and bone health”. The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 11 (2): 99–110. PMC 2658806.

[5]. Cheung, Rebecca (2006). Silicon carbide microelectromechanical systems for harsh environments. Imperial College Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-86094-624-0

Silicon Element Mass Number

Silicon Mass Number With 15 Neutrons

Other Periodic Table Elements

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