Periodic Table Element Comparison: Compare Elements - Germanium vs Silicon
Compare Germanium and Silicon on the basis of their properties, attributes and periodic table facts. Compare elements on more than 90 properties. All the elements of similar categories show a lot of similarities and differences in their chemical, atomic, physical properties and uses. These similarities and dissimilarities should be known while we study periodic table elements. You can study the detailed comparison between Germanium vs Silicon with most reliable information about their properties, attributes, facts, uses etc. You can compare Ge vs Si on more than 90 properties like electronegativity , oxidation state, atomic shells, orbital structure, Electronaffinity, physical states, electrical conductivity and many more. Germanium and Silicon comparison table on more than 90 properties.
Germanium and Silicon Comparison
Facts
| Name | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Number | 32 | 14 |
| Atomic Symbol | Ge | Si |
| Atomic Weight | 72.64 | 28.0855 |
| Phase at STP | Solid | Solid |
| Color | Gray | Gray |
| Metallic Classification | Metalloid | Metalloid |
| Group in Periodic Table | group 14 | group 14 |
| Group Name | carbon family | carbon family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 4 | period 3 |
| Block in Periodic Table | p -block | p -block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2 | [Ne] 3s2 3p2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 4 | 2, 8, 4 |
| Melting Point | 1211.4 K | 1687 K |
| Boiling Point | 3093 K | 3173 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-56-4 | CAS7440-21-3 |
| Neighborhood Elements | Neighborhood Elements of Germanium | Neighborhood Elements of Silicon |
History
| Parameter | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| History | The element Germanium was discovered by C. A. Winkler in year 1886 in Germany. Germanium derived its name from Germania, the Latin name for Germany. | The element Silicon was discovered by J. Berzelius in year 1823 in Sweden. Silicon derived its name from the Latin silex, 'flint' (originally silicium). |
| Discovery | C. A. Winkler (1886) | J. Berzelius (1823) |
| Isolated | () | J. Berzelius (1823) |
Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
Parts per billion (ppb) by weight / by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
| Property | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 200 / 3 | 700000 / 30000 |
| Abundance in Sun | 200 / 3 | 900000 / 40000 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 21000 / 4900 | 140000000 / 100000000 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 1400 / 390 | 270000000 / 200000000 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.06 / 0.0051 | 1000 / 220 |
| Abundance in Humans | - / - | 260000 / 58000 |
Crystal Structure and Atomic Structure
| Property | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Volume | 13.646 cm3/mol | 12.054 cm3/mol |
| Atomic Radius | 125 pm | 111 pm |
| Covalent Radius | 122 pm | 111 pm |
| Van der Waals Radius | 211 pm | 210 pm |
Atomic Spectrum - Spectral Lines | ||
| Emission Spectrum |  |  |
| Absorption Spectrum |  |  |
| Lattice Constant | 565.75, 565.75, 565.75 pm | 543.09, 543.09, 543.09 pm |
| Lattice Angle | π/2, π/2, π/2 | π/2, π/2, π/2 |
| Space Group Name | Fm_ 3m | Fd_ 3m |
| Space Group Number | 225 | 227 |
| Crystal Structure | Face Centered Cubic  | Tetrahedral Packing  |
Atomic and Orbital Properties
| Property | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Number | 32 | 14 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 32 | 14 |
| Number of Protons | 32 | 14 |
| Mass Number | 72.64 | 28.0855 |
| Number of Neutrons | 41 | 14 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 4 | 2, 8, 4 |
| Electron Configuration | [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2 | [Ne] 3s2 3p2 |
| Valence Electrons | 4s2 4p2 | 3s2 3p2 |
| Oxidation State | -4, 2, 4 | -4, 4 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 3P0 | 3P0 |
| Shell structure |  |  |
Isotopes and Nuclear Properties
Germanium has 4 stable naturally occuring isotopes while Silicon has 3 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
| Parameter | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| Known Isotopes | 58Ge, 59Ge, 60Ge, 61Ge, 62Ge, 63Ge, 64Ge, 65Ge, 66Ge, 67Ge, 68Ge, 69Ge, 70Ge, 71Ge, 72Ge, 73Ge, 74Ge, 75Ge, 76Ge, 77Ge, 78Ge, 79Ge, 80Ge, 81Ge, 82Ge, 83Ge, 84Ge, 85Ge, 86Ge, 87Ge, 88Ge, 89Ge | 22Si, 23Si, 24Si, 25Si, 26Si, 27Si, 28Si, 29Si, 30Si, 31Si, 32Si, 33Si, 34Si, 35Si, 36Si, 37Si, 38Si, 39Si, 40Si, 41Si, 42Si, 43Si, 44Si |
| Stable Isotopes | Naturally occurring stable isotopes: 70Ge, 72Ge, 73Ge, 74Ge | Naturally occurring stable isotopes: 28Si, 29Si, 30Si |
| Neutron Cross Section | 2.2 | 171 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.0011 | 0.0002 |
Chemical Properties: Ionization Energies and electron affinity
| Property | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| Valence or Valency | 4 | 4 |
| Electronegativity | 2.01 Pauling Scale | 1.9 Pauling Scale |
| Electron Affinity | 119 kJ/mol | 133.6 kJ/mol |
| Ionization Energies | 1st: 762 kJ/mol 2nd: 1537.5 kJ/mol 3rd: 3302.1 kJ/mol 4th: 4411 kJ/mol 5th: 9020 kJ/mol | 1st: 786.5 kJ/mol 2nd: 1577.1 kJ/mol 3rd: 3231.6 kJ/mol 4th: 4355.5 kJ/mol 5th: 16091 kJ/mol 6th: 19805 kJ/mol 7th: 23780 kJ/mol 8th: 29287 kJ/mol 9th: 33878 kJ/mol 10th: 38726 kJ/mol 11th: 45962 kJ/mol 12th: 50502 kJ/mol 13th: 235196 kJ/mol 14th: 257923 kJ/mol |
Physical Properties
| Property | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 5.323 g/cm3 | 2.33 g/cm3 |
| Molar Volume | 13.646 cm3/mol | 12.054 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties | ||
| Young Modulus | - | 47 |
| Shear Modulus | - | - |
| Bulk Modulus | - | 100 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | - | - |
Hardness - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element | ||
| Mohs Hardness | 6 MPa | 6.5 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | - | - |
| Brinell Hardness | - | - |
Electrical Properties | ||
| Electrical Conductivity | 2000 S/m | 1000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 0.0005 m Ω | 0.001 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | - | - |
Heat and Conduction Properties | ||
| Thermal Conductivity | 60 W/(m K) | 150 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.000006 /K | 0.0000026 /K |
Magnetic Properties | ||
| Magnetic Type | Diamagnetic | Diamagnetic |
| Curie Point | - | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | -1.5e-9 m3/kg | -1.6e-9 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | -1.09e-10 m3/mol | -4.49e-11 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | -0.00000798 | -0.00000373 |
Optical Properties | ||
| Refractive Index | - | - |
Acoustic Properties | ||
| Speed of Sound | 5400 m/s | 2200 m/s |
Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
| Property | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| Melting Point | 1211.4 K | 1687 K |
| Boiling Point | 3093 K | 3173 K |
| Critical Temperature | - | - |
| Superconducting Point | - | - |
Enthalpies | ||
| Heat of Fusion | 31.8 kJ/mol | 50.2 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 334 kJ/mol | 359 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | -536 J/(kg K) | -9055 J/(kg K) |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
| Parameter | Germanium | Silicon |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Number | CAS7440-56-4 | CAS7440-21-3 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSLY5200000 | RTECSVW0400000 |
| DOT Hazard Class | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| DOT Numbers | 3089 | 1346 |
| EU Number | - | - |
| NFPA Fire Rating | 0 | 0 |
| NFPA Health Rating | 1 | 1 |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | 0 | 0 |
| NFPA Hazards | - | - |
| AutoIgnition Point | - | 150 °C |
| Flashpoint | - | - |
Compare With Other Elements
Compare Germanium and Silicon with other elements of the periodic table.