Quick answerSilicon (Si) is a metalloid with atomic number 14 and an atomic mass of 28.085 (2023), in group 14, period 3. It was discovered by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1824. It is used for computer chips and semiconductors and solar panels. Its electron configuration is [Ne] 3s2 3p2.
Silicon is the element inside every computer chip, phone, and solar panel, the second most abundant element in Earth's crust, pulled from ordinary sand. It also makes glass, concrete, and silicone rubber, and its crystals are grown into near-perfect ingots sliced into wafers. Without purified silicon, the digital age simply would not exist.
Key facts
| Symbol | Si |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 14 |
| Atomic mass | 28.085 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | metalloid |
| Group | 14 |
| Period | 3 |
| Block | p-block |
| Electron configuration | [Ne] 3s2 3p2 |
| Discovered | Jöns Jacob Berzelius, 1824 |
| Uses | computer chips and semiconductors, solar panels, glass and concrete, silicone sealants and rubber, alloys for cars |
Overview
Silicon is the element inside every computer chip, phone and solar panel, and the second most abundant element in Earth's crust after oxygen. It has atomic number 14, an atomic mass of 28.085, and the electron configuration [Ne] 3s2 3p2, and it sits in group 14, period 3 of the periodic table. Jöns Jacob Berzelius isolated it in 1824 from a mineral, and named it from the Latin word for flint. Silicon never occurs as a free element in nature; it is bound up with oxygen in sand, quartz and rock, and in the clays that make bricks and pottery. Purified silicon is the heart of the digital age: its crystals are grown into near-perfect ingots, sliced into wafers, and etched with billions of tiny transistors to make computer chips. It also makes the solar cells that turn sunlight into electricity, and its compounds are everywhere in ordinary life: glass is mostly silicon dioxide, concrete and cement depend on it, and silicone rubber seals windows, moulds baking trays and cushions implants. Silicon is a metalloid, with properties between a metal and a nonmetal, and that in-between nature is exactly what makes it a semiconductor.
Frequently asked questions
What is silicon used for?
Silicon is mainly used in computer chips, where purified crystals are sliced into wafers and etched with billions of transistors. It also makes solar panels, glass, concrete and silicone rubber. As a semiconductor it sits at the heart of phones, computers and the internet, and it is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust.
What is the symbol for silicon?
The chemical symbol for silicon is Si, from its name, which comes from the Latin word silex, meaning flint. It has atomic number 14 and a standard atomic mass of 28.085, and it sits in group 14 and period 3. Jöns Jacob Berzelius isolated it in 1824, and it is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust.
What is the atomic number of silicon?
Silicon has atomic number 14, so it is the fourteenth element in the periodic table. Its atom holds fourteen protons and fourteen electrons, and its standard atomic mass is 28.085. It is a metalloid in group 14 and period 3, with the electron configuration [Ne] 3s2 3p2, four electrons in its outer shell.
Is silicon a metal?
No, silicon is a metalloid, with properties between a metal and a nonmetal. It looks metallic and shiny, but it is brittle rather than bendable, and it conducts electricity only moderately, which is what makes it a semiconductor. That in-between behaviour is exactly why it is used to make computer chips.
Is silicon the same as silicone?
No, silicon and silicone are different, though they are related. Silicon is a chemical element, the metalloid used in computer chips and solar panels. Silicone is a family of rubbery plastics made from silicon, used for sealants, baking moulds, medical implants and kitchen utensils. The two words are often confused, but they are not the same thing.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Boron (B) — another metalloid, atomic number 5
- Germanium (Ge) — another metalloid, atomic number 32
- Arsenic (As) — another metalloid, atomic number 33
- Antimony (Sb) — another metalloid, atomic number 51
- Tellurium (Te) — another metalloid, atomic number 52
Sources & last updated
- CIAAW — Standard Atomic Weights
- PubChem Periodic Table
- Wikipedia — Timeline of chemical element discoveries
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.