October 31 - November 3, 2004
Element of the Day
Sunday, October 17
The
name comes from the Latin silex, which means flint. Silicon is present in the
sun and stars and is a principal component of a class of meteorites known as
aerolites. Silicon makes up 25.7% of the earth's crust by weight, and is the
second most abundant element, exceeded only by oxygen. It is found largely as
silicon oxides such as sand (silica), quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, agate,
flint, jasper and opal. Silicon is found also in minerals such as asbestos,
feldspar, clay and mica.
Discovered by: Jöns J Berzelius is credited with discovering silicon in 1824.
Uses: Silicon can be doped with boron, gallium, phosphorus, or arsenic, etc. to produce silicon for use in transistors, solar cells, rectifiers, and other electronic solid-state devices. Silicones are also important products of silicon. Silica, as sand, is a principal ingredient of glass, a material with excellent mechanical, optical, thermal, and electrical properties. Silicon is also used in computer chips, used as lubricants, used to make concrete and bricks, and used in medicine for silicone implants. Silicon is also important in plant and animal life. Diatoms in both fresh and salt water extract silica from the water to use as a component of their cell walls. Silicon is an important ingredient in steel. Silicon carbide is one of the most important abrasives.