Is silicon a metal?
In spite of its high proportion of the earth's mass, silicon is not really known to many. Is it a non-metal or a metal? What properties does it have and in what form does it occur in nature?
Properties of silicon
- Silicon (Si) has the atomic number 14 and thus in the elemental state 14 protons and 14 electrons. There are also 14 neutrons in the core, so that this element has an atomic mass of approx. 28 u has.
- Silicon, also spelled silicon, is in the Periodic table directly below the element carbon. It also has 4 outer electrons and therefore usually forms 4 bonds.
- Is this substance a metal or a non-metal? Both are not entirely correct. Silicon is a semimetal. This means that this element has typical properties of a semi-metal, but also properties of a metal are present.
- Elementary it is a gray-black solid with a bluish sheen. This diamagnetic element can also only be melted at 1410 ° C and boils at 3260 ° C.
Occurrence of the semi-metal
- The earth's crust consists of 25.8% silicon. Even if the entire earth is considered, this particular element makes up 15% of the mass, making it the second most abundant element.
- Silica is one of the most common silicon compounds and the main component of sand. This compound occurs purely in quartz.
- However, this element also forms many oxygen-containing compounds with other metals. Well-known examples of such compounds are numerous gemstones such as the amethyst or an opal.
- Other silicon-containing compounds are also generally known. These include asbestos, clay, slate and feldspar. But silicon is also found in the oceans of the earth. Here, monomeric silica is the most common compound.
- Elementary, this element occurs only in a few places on earth. Locations include China, Russia, Cuba and the USA.
Silicon - use and interesting facts about this mineral
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