Si - Silicon

14
Si
Silicon

Silicon Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements

Element 14 of Periodic table is Silicon with atomic number 14, atomic weight 28.0855. Silicon, symbol Si, has a Tetrahedral Packing structure and Gray color. Silicon is a Metalloid element. It is part of group 14 (carbon family). Know everything about Silicon Facts, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electronic configuration, Atomic and Crystal Structure.
14 Si - Silicon | SchoolMyKids

Silicon is a chemical element with symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a tetravalent Metalloid, more reactive than germanium, the Metalloid directly below it in the table. Controversy about silicon's character dates to its discovery.

It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table having trivial name tetrels, crystallogens. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Silicon in a PDF format.

Silicon Facts

Read key information and facts about element Silicon

NameSilicon
Atomic Number14
Atomic SymbolSi
Atomic Weight28.0855
PhaseSolid
ColorGray
Appearancecrystalline, reflective with bluish-tinged faces
ClassificationMetalloid
Natural OccurancePrimordial
Group in Periodic Table14
Group Namecarbon family
Period in Periodic Tableperiod 3
Block in Periodic Tablep-block
Electronic Configuration[Ne] 3s2 3p2
Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell)2, 8, 4
Melting Point1687 K
Boiling Point3173 K
CAS NumberCAS7440-21-3
Neighborhood Elements
123456789101112131415161718
1
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008

Atomic #

Electronic Shell #

Symbol
Name
Atomic Weight
HGas
HgLiquid
CSolid
Metals
Metalloids
NonMetals
Alkali metals
Alkali earth metals
Lanthanoids
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Other nonmetals
Halogens
Nobel gas
Actinoids
2
He
Helium
4.003
2
3
Li
Lithium
6.941
4
Be
Beryllium
9.012
5
B
Boron
10.811
6
C
Carbon
12.011
7
N
Nitrogen
14.007
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
9
F
Fluorine
18.998
10
Ne
Neon
20.180
3
11
Na
Sodium
22.990
12
Mg
Magnesium
24.305
13
Al
Aluminium
26.982
14
Si
Silicon
28.085
15
P
Phosphorus
30.974
16
S
Sulfur
32.065
17
Cl
Chlorine
35.453
18
Ar
Argon
39.948
4
19
K
Potassium
39.098
20
Ca
Calcium
40.078
21
Sc
Scandium
44.956
22
Ti
Titanium
47.867
23
V
Vanadium
50.941
24
Cr
Chromium
51.996
25
Mn
Manganese
54.938
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
27
Co
Cobalt
58.933
28
Ni
Nickel
58.693
29
Cu
Copper
63.546
30
Zn
Zinc
65.409
31
Ga
Gallium
69.723
32
Ge
Germanium
72.640
33
As
Arsenic
74.922
34
Se
Selenium
78.960
35
Br
Bromine
79.904
36
Kr
Krypton
83.798
5
37
Rb
Rubidium
85.468
38
Sr
Strontium
87.620
39
Y
Yttrium
88.906
40
Zr
Zirconium
91.224
41
Nb
Niobium
92.906
42
Mo
Molybdenum
95.940
43
Tc
Technetium
98
44
Ru
Ruthenium
101.070
45
Rh
Rhodium
102.906
46
Pd
Palladium
106.420
47
Ag
Silver
107.868
48
Cd
Cadmium
112.411
49
In
Indium
114.818
50
Sn
Tin
118.710
51
Sb
Antimony
121.760
52
Te
Tellurium
127.600
53
I
Iodine
126.904
54
Xe
Xenon
131.293
6
55
Cs
Cesium
132.905
56
Ba
Barium
137.327
57 - 71
La - Lu
Lanthanides
72
Hf
Hafnium
178.490
73
Ta
Tantalum
180.948
74
W
Tungsten
183.840
75
Re
Rhenium
186.207
76
Os
Osmium
190.230
77
Ir
Iridium
192.217
78
Pt
Platinum
195.078
79
Au
Gold
196.967
80
Hg
Mercury
200.590
81
Tl
Thallium
204.383
82
Pb
Lead
207.200
83
Bi
Bismuth
208.980
84
Po
Polonium
209
85
At
Astatine
210
86
Rn
Radon
222
7
87
Fr
Francium
223
88
Ra
Radium
226
89 - 103
Ac - Lr
Actinides
104
Rf
Rutherfordium
261
105
Db
Dubnium
262
106
Sg
Seaborgium
266
107
Bh
Bohrium
264
108
Hs
Hassium
269
109
Mt
Meitnerium
268
110
Ds
Darmstadtium
281
111
Rg
Roentgenium
272
112
Cn
Copernicium
285
113
Nh
Nihonium
284
114
Fl
Flerovium
289
115
Mc
Moscovium
288
116
Lv
Livermorium
292
117
Ts
Tennessine
294
118
Og
Oganesson
294
Lanthanides
57
La
Lanthanum
138.905
58
Ce
Cerium
140.116
59
Pr
Praseodymium
140.908
60
Nd
Neodymium
144.240
61
Pm
Promethium
145
62
Sm
Samarium
150.360
63
Eu
Europium
151.964
64
Gd
Gadolinium
157.250
65
Tb
Terbium
158.925
66
Dy
Dysprosium
162.500
67
Ho
Holmium
164.930
68
Er
Erbium
167.259
69
Tm
Thulium
168.934
70
Yb
Ytterbium
173.040
71
Lu
Lutetium
174.967
Actinides
89
Ac
Actinium
227
90
Th
Thorium
232.038
91
Pa
Protactinium
231.036
92
U
Uranium
238.029
93
Np
Neptunium
237
94
Pu
Plutonium
244
95
Am
Americium
243
96
Cm
Curium
247
97
Bk
Berkelium
247
98
Cf
Californium
251
99
Es
Einsteinium
252
100
Fm
Fermium
257
101
Md
Mendelevium
258
102
No
Nobelium
259
103
Lr
Lawrencium
262

How to Locate Silicon on Periodic Table

Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 14 to find Silicon on periodic table.

Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Silicon on periodic table look for cross section of group 14 and period 3 in the modern periodic table.

Silicon History

The element Silicon was discovered by J. Berzelius in year 1823 in Sweden. Silicon was first isolated by J. Berzelius in 1823. Silicon derived its name from the Latin silex, 'flint' (originally silicium).

Discovered By J. Berzelius
Discovery Date 1823 in Sweden
First Isolation 1823
Isolated by J. Berzelius

Humphry Davy thought in 1800 that silica was a compound, not an element, and in 1808 suggested the present name. In 1811 Louis-Joseph Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thénard probably prepared impure silicon, but Berzelius is credited with the discovery for obtaining the pure element in 1823.

Silicon Uses

Silicon is used majorly in the semiconductor industry in solid-state electronics. To use it there, the silicon has to be doped with boron, gallium, phosphorus, or arsenic.

Silicon Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us

The table below shows the abundance of Silicon in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.

 ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %)ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
Abundance in Universe70000030000
Abundance in Sun90000040000
Abundance in Meteorites140000000100000000
Abundance in Earth's Crust270000000200000000
Abundance in Oceans1000220
Abundance in Humans26000058000

Crystal Structure of Silicon

The solid state structure of Silicon is Tetrahedral Packing.

The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.

Unit Cell Parameters

The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)

abc
543.09 pm543.09 pm543.09 pm

and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).

alphabetagamma
π/2 π/2 π/2

The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.

The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.

Space Group NameFd_ 3m
Space Group Number227
Crystal StructureTetrahedral Packing
Number of atoms per unit cell
14 Si Silicon - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.

Silicon Atomic and Orbital Properties

Silicon atoms have 14 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 4] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 3P0.

Atomic Number14
Number of Electrons (with no charge)14
Number of Protons14
Mass Number28
Number of Neutrons14
Shell structure (Electrons per energy level)2, 8, 4
Electron Configuration[Ne] 3s2 3p2
Valence Electrons3s2 3p2
Valence (Valency)4
Main Oxidation States-4, 4
Oxidation States-4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers)3P0

Bohr Atomic Model of Silicon - Electrons per energy level

14 Si Silicon Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids
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Ground State Electronic Configuration of Silicon - neutral Silicon atom

Abbreviated electronic configuration of Silicon

The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Silicon atom is [Ne] 3s2 3p2. The portion of Silicon configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Ne]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 3s2 3p2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.

Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Silicon

Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Silicon atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2

Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.

As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…

The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.

Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.

Electron configuration of Silicon

Atomic Structure of Silicon

Silicon atomic radius is 111 pm, while it's covalent radius is 111 pm.

Atomic Radius Calculated111 pm(1.11 Å)
Atomic Radius Empirical110 pm (1.1 Å)
Atomic Volume12.054 cm3/mol
Covalent Radius111 pm (1.11 Å)
Van der Waals Radius210 pm
Neutron Cross Section171
Neutron Mass Absorption 0.0002

Spectral Lines of Silicon - Atomic Spectrum of Silicon

A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.

Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.

Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.

Emission spectrum of Silicon

Emission Spectrum of Silicon | SchoolMyKids

Absorption spectrum of Silicon

Absorption Spectrum of Silicon | SchoolMyKids

Silicon Chemical Properties: Silicon Ionization Energies and electron affinity

The electron affinity of Silicon is 133.6 kJ/mol.

Valence4
Electronegativity1.9
ElectronAffinity133.6 kJ/mol

Ionization Energy of Silicon

Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Silicon

Ionization energy numberEnthalpy - kJ/mol
1st786.5
2nd1577.1
3rd3231.6
4th4355.5
5th16091
6th19805
7th23780
8th29287
9th33878
10th38726
11th45962
12th50502
13th235196
14th257923

Silicon Physical Properties

Refer to below table for Silicon Physical Properties

Density2.33 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $2.57 g/cm3)
Molar Volume12.054 cm3/mol

Elastic Properties

Young Modulus47
Shear Modulus-
Bulk Modulus 100 GPa
Poisson Ratio-

Hardness of Silicon - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element

Mohs Hardness6.5 MPa
Vickers Hardness-
Brinell Hardness-

Silicon Electrical Properties

Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).

Silicon is a Semiconductor. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Silicon

Electrical conductors Semiconductor
Electrical Conductivity1000 S/m
Resistivity0.001 m Ω
Superconducting Point-

Silicon Heat and Conduction Properties

Thermal Conductivity150 W/(m K)
Thermal Expansion0.0000026 /K

Silicon Magnetic Properties

Magnetic TypeDiamagnetic
Curie Point-
Mass Magnetic Susceptibility-1.6e-9 m3/kg
Molar Magnetic Susceptibility-4.49e-11 m3/mol
Volume Magnetic Susceptibility-0.00000373

Optical Properties of Silicon

Refractive Index-

Acoustic Properties of Silicon

Speed of Sound2200 m/s

Silicon Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics

Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Silicon

Melting Point1687 K(1413.85 °C, 2576.930 °F)
Boiling Point3173 K(2899.85 °C, 5251.730 °F)
Critical Temperature-
Superconducting Point-

Enthalpies of Silicon

Heat of Fusion50.2 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization359 kJ/mol
Heat of Combustion-9055 J/(kg K)

Silicon Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Silicon

Silicon has 23 isotopes, with between 22 and 44 nucleons. Silicon has 3 stable naturally occuring isotopes.

Isotopes of Silicon - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 28Si, 29Si, 30Si.

IsotopeZNIsotope Mass% AbundanceT halfDecay Mode
22Si14822Synthetic
23Si14923Synthetic
24Si141024Synthetic
25Si141125Synthetic
26Si141226Synthetic
27Si141327Synthetic
28Si14142892.2297%Stable
29Si1415294.6832%StableN/A
30Si1416303.0872%StableN/A
31Si141731Synthetic
32Si141832Synthetic
33Si141933Synthetic
34Si142034Synthetic
35Si142135Synthetic
36Si142236Synthetic
37Si142337Synthetic
38Si142438Synthetic
39Si142539Synthetic
40Si142640Synthetic
41Si142741Synthetic
42Si142842Synthetic
43Si142943Synthetic
44Si143044Synthetic

Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.

Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives

NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.

The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.

NFPA Fire Rating0Will not burn
NFPA Health Rating1 Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
NFPA Reactivity Rating0 Will not burn
NFPA Hazards
Autoignition Point150 °C
Flashpoint-

Database Search

List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases

DatabaseIdentifier number
CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)CAS7440-21-3
RTECS NumberRTECSVW0400000
CID Number CID5461123
Gmelin Number-
NSC Number-

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Silicon

The electronic configuration of Silicon is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2.

The abbreviated electronic configuration of Silicon is [Ne] 3s2 3p2. To form abbreviated notation of electronic configuration, the completely filled subshells are replaced by the noble gas of the preceding period in square brackets.

Symbol of Silicon is Si. Silicon is a chemical element with symbol Si and atomic number 14.

Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. Silicon is the 14 element on the periodic table. It is located in group 14 and period 3 in the modern periodic table.

The atomic number of Silicon is 14.

Silicon is of Gray color.

The element Silicon was discovered by J. Berzelius in year 1823 in Sweden. Silicon was first isolated by J. Berzelius in 1823.

Silicon has 4 valence electrons. Silicon has 14 electrons out of which 4 valence electrons are present in the 3s2 3p2 outer orbitals of atom.

Melting Point of Silicon is 1687 K.

Boiling Point of Silicon is 3173 K.

Melting Point of Silicon in Kelvin is 1687 K.

Boiling Point of Silicon in Kelvin is 3173 K.

Melting Point of Silicon in Celsius is 1413.85 °C.

Boiling Point of Silicon in Celsius is 2899.85 °C.

Melting Point of Silicon in Fahrenheit is 2576.93 °F.

Boiling Point of Silicon in Fahrenheit is 5251.73 °F.

The electronic configuration of Silicon will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2.

The electronic configuration of Silicon will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2.