Elementary facts
Atomic mass: 28
Atomic number: 14 Chemical name and symbol: The chemical name is silicon and the symbol is Si Physical properties: Silicon is a metalloid, an element with properties of both metals and non-metals. Silicon exists in two allotropic forms, allotropes are forms of an element with different physical and chemical properties. One allotrope is in the form of shiny, grayish-black, like a needle, crystals, or flat plates. The second allotrope has no crystal structure and usually occurs as a brown powder. Silicon has a hardness of about 7 on the Mohs scale, the Mohs scale is a way of expressing the hardness of a material and it runs from 0 to 10. Chemical properties: Silicon is a relatively inactive element at room temperature, it doesn't combine with oxygen or most other elements. Water, steam, and most acids have a small affect on the element. At higher temperatures, however, silicon becomes much more reactive. When it's melted it combines with oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and other elements. |