Jake Gordon Mrs.

Elder Chemistry 11 February 2011 Silicon You might not realize it, but every time you use a computer, youre using Silicon. Thats right. Every microchip in every computer is made of this type of element. However, the use of silicon doesnt just stop here. Everything from bandages and various medical supplies to shampoos and hair conditioners all contain silicon. So, what is Silicon?

Silicon, or Si, is a bluish grey element found in materials such as rock, granite, sand, agate, amethyst, opal, flint, and jasper. It is also found in minerals including clay, asbestos, mica, and feldspar. It has an atomic number of 14, and an atomic mass of around 28. Silicon is the second most abundant element on earth next to oxygen, and the seventh most abundant element throughout the universe. It can be found primarily in the deep parts of the ocean, and in the earths crust. Silicon is classified as a metalloids, which are also known as non-metals. The shortcut for the electron configuration of Silicon is [Ne]3s23p2 , and the long version of this configuration is 1s22s22p63s23p2 . Silicon is a very hard material, with a

7 on the mohs scale. It has a density of 2.33g/cc at 300K. The crystal structure of silicon is cubic face centered. Since silicon has a definite crystal structure, it only make senses that its purist form is found in quartz crystal. Silicon also has a very low rate of optical reflectivity, being at 28 percent. It has a high boiling point of 4271 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2355 degrees Celsius, and a melting point of 1414 degrees Celsius. Silicon can also be very dangerous if used incorrectly, causing damage to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system if inhaled or touched. Asbestos is a silicate than is commonly known to be carcinogenic.

Silicon has existed naturally in the universe for a very long time, but it wasnt until the 1800s until someone actually discovered that it existed. In 1824, a Swedish scientist named Jons Jacob Berzelius figured out a way to produce silicon through a process that involved heating chips of potassium in a silica container, and then washing away the residual by-products that were left behind. Discovering Silicon, along with other accomplishments, helped Berzelius become what is now known as the Father of Swedish Chemistry. This new substance got its name from a Scottish scientist named Thomas Thomson in 1831 from the Latin word silex, or flint.

Then in 1854, Henri Deville was the first to produce a crystalline version of silicon using a method that involved electrolyzing a sample of impure sodium aluminum chloride and forming aluminum silicide. Similar to Berzeliuss method, he then washed away the remaining aluminum, leaving behind only silicon crystals.

Like I mentioned before, Silicon is used in a vast number of items ranging from computer chips to hygiene products. This list also includes water tight containers, cookware coatings, dry-cleaning solutions, electronics castings, flame retardants, gels and bandages, and even cosmetic surgery. A large number of products do not actually contain silicon in its simplest from, but in a compound. These compounds consist of Silicon dioxide and Silicon carbide. Silicon dioxide is Earths most common compound, used for electrical items such as fiber optic cables, semiconductors, and wire insulation. It is also used as a drying and absorbing agent, molds for castings, petroleum products, refractive pieces such as lenses, window glass, concrete, metal alloys, and precision measuring equipment. Silicon dioxide is used in other forms of glass as well, including soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, and lead crystal. The next compound, Silicon carbide, is commonly used as a cutting tool in processes like sandblasting and water-jet cutting. Silicon Carbide is

great for these types of uses because of its high level of hardness. Other uses for Silicon carbide include automobile parts (brake discs), astronomy (telescopes), electric systems, steel production, and abrasives. Other forms of silicon include Silicon sulfide, Silicon tetrachloride, and Silitranes. So obviously, there are a ton of uses for silicon that stretch across a wide variety of different jobs and professions.

Silicon is extremely important to our society whether we know it or not. It is used as a key component in a vast number of products, and its abundance allows us to continue to using it to produce new things every day. Going without a computer or electricity would not be a very fun experience, and if we did not have silicon, we would most likely not have those things. Another wards, life would be significantly harder.