![]() Diatoms are a type of single-celled ocean dwelling algae that produce a silica shell naturally. Some researchers are attempting to replace silicon with materials like diamond for computer chips.ġ1. Without silicon it would be much more difficult to build the computing devices we have all become used to having around. Computers depend on the tiny highly precise amount of impurities like phosphorus, boron and nitrogen that are added to silicon so that they can, well, compute things. One of the most important uses of silicon is to make computer chips and other electronic devices. China is the world’s biggest producer of silicon, producing about 6000 tons of silicon per year. This accounts for much of the world’s production of silicon.ĩ. One silicon compound, silicon carbide, is used to make steel and other metal alloys much stronger and resistant to corrosion. A handful of black silicon carbide powder. It’s also a major component of sand and is used to make typical glasses like window panes and bottles. You may know of it in its more common form as quartz rock. Silicon dioxide, or silica is the most common form of silicon found in nature. Silicon-containing minerals make up close to 95% of the mineral content of Earth’s crust.ħ. It is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s rocky crust, making up about a quarter of the total weight. Finding a silicon-based lifeform would be incredible advance of our knowledge of how biology works.Ħ. On Earth, there are no organic carbon-silicon molecules found in nature. Some scientists speculate that the biology of other planets may use silicon rather than carbon as the building blocks of life. More abundant elements include hydrogen, helium, oxygen, carbon, neon, iron, and nitrogen.ĥ. Silicon is the eighth most abundant element in the universe by mass. Even though it looks like a metal, pure silicon does not conduct either heat or electricity very well. Pure silicon is a bluish-gray solid with metallic shine. Chemists can often make silicon equivalents of carbon-based molecules.ģ. It shares many of the same chemical properties as these elements. Silicon is a close chemical relative of elements like carbon, tin and lead. It’s chemical symbol is Si, for “silicon” – one of the very obvious symbols, not a head-scratcher like Pb (lead).Ģ. This means it has 14 protons and electrons. It has position 14 on the Periodic Table. If silicon weren’t your favorite element before, here are 50 facts about silicon that may help you change your mind about this very common element. Your favorite glass or dish most certainly has silicon in it. It’s also the reason why you can use a computer. Why silicon? Well it’s one of the more versatile elements out there. What is your favorite chemical element? Is it carbon? Maybe nitrogen? Everyone needs a favorite element.
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