Silicon (Si)
Element 14 · Metalloid · Solid at 25 °C · Group 14, Period 3
Silicon is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust and the semiconductor that computer chips — and “Silicon Valley” — are named for.
On the periodic table, silicon sits in group 14 — the carbon group — in period 3. It is one of 6 elements classified as a metalloid, and at room temperature (25 °C) it is a solid.
Metalloids line the zig-zag “staircase” between the metals and nonmetals and behave a bit like both: they look metallic but are brittle and conduct electricity only moderately well. That in-between conductivity — a semiconductor's — is exactly what modern electronics is built on.
Properties of silicon
| Atomic number (Z) | 14 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Si |
| Atomic mass | 28.085 |
| Category | Metalloid |
| Group | 14 |
| Period | 3 |
| Block | p-block |
| Metal / nonmetal | Metalloid |
| State at 25 °C | Solid |
| Electron configuration | [Ne] 3s2 3p2 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 1.9 |
| Melting point | 1,414 °C (1,687.15 K / 2,577.2 °F) |
| Boiling point | 3,265 °C (3,538.15 K / 5,909 °F) |
| Density | 2.3296 g/cm³ |
Position in the periodic table
Silicon shares group 14 — the carbon group with Carbon (C), Germanium (Ge), Tin (Sn), Lead (Pb), Flerovium (Fl). Elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons, so they tend to behave alike chemically — comparing them is one of the fastest ways to see periodic trends in action.
Physical properties
Silicon melts at 1,414 °C (1,687.15 K / 2,577.2 °F) and boils at 3,265 °C (3,538.15 K / 5,909 °F), giving it a liquid range of about 1,851 °C at standard pressure.
Its density is 2.3296 g/cm³.
See also: the interactive periodic table, how to read the periodic table, metals, nonmetals & metalloids.