Silicon+Zach+and+Brenda

**S i l i** **c o n** THE ABUNDANT
 * __Table of Contents.__**
 * 1) Chemical and Physical Properties
 * 2) Utility of Element
 * 3) Comparison to Similar Elementsmedia type="youtube" key="rP2zA3lZk9Y" height="138" width="243" align="right"
 * 4) Pricing
 * 5) Interesting Facts
 * 6) Works Cited

Just in case the rest of the wiki page does not express the importance of silicon to you, I have put in a video to help you understand the essence of the element while you are reading

**1. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES**
 * Physical**- Silicon has a gray look and has a metallic look to it (in its crystalline form). It has a relatively high melting point of about 1400 degrees Celsius. This makes the purifying of silicon expensive because of the vast amounts of energy needed. Silicon boils around 2800 degrees Celsius. When it is in a solid state (frozen), silicon actually expands, which makes it less dense in its frozen state then in its liquid state. Silicon is good heat conductor so unfortunately for Silicon, it is out of the game as far as insulating hot objects goes. Silicon is very brittle, making very easy to chip but it is also a very hard element. When it crystallizes, it makes a diamond cubic structure.

Silicon is generally an inert element silicon "still reacts with halogens and dilute alkali's but most acids (except for some hyper-reactive combinations of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid) have no known effect on it" (Silicon). There are three silicon isotopes that are stable: silicon-28, silicon-29, and silicon-30, with silicon-28 being the most abundant at about 92%.
 * Chemical**- Silicon is a semiconductor. Silicon regularly donate or shares its electrons and because of its four valence electrons it has a plethora of bonding opportunities.



**2. Utility of Element**

The world would be hard to imagine without the element silicon. Silicon when combined with other elements like allow for a compound like silicon dioxide (sand). Silicon dioxide can takes the form of "quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, agate, flint, jasper and opal"(Gagnon). Silicon can also be doped " [|boron], [|gallium], [|germanium], [|phosphorus] or [|arsenic]"(Gagnon) to make various high-tech devices such as solar cells and microchips. The only downside is that it requires an outrageously high purity and it is some where within the area of 99.9999%. Silicon can also be made into a silicone when combined with elements like carbon and oxygen, these gels are commonly used as household as well as industrial sealants. Also as lubricants, polishing agents and..."medical implants". Another very important application of silicon is when it is combined with carbon (SiC) it forms a compound that is nearly as hard as diamond and is used as an abrasive. Silicon when combined with other elements is made to make miscellaneous products such as: water glass, soap, adhesives, egg preservatives and smoke screens. Here is a short list of additional products that the element silicon is a crucial player in:

> === === > === === > === === > === === >, therefore being the second most abundant element. Silicon is in the sun and stars, it's the main component of aerolite, meteorites. silicon is also found in tektites, a natural glass. It's
 * Silly Putty used to be made by adding Boric Acid and Silicon Oil
 * Silcates, can be used for both pottery and enamel
 * Sand that has Silicon is a very important part of glass
 * Silicones are within high temperature greases and waxes, contact lenses, explosives, and pyrotechnics.
 * Silicon might replace coal as the main source of electricity
 * **Sources:**
 * Silicon is 25.7% of the earth's crust
 * not found on it's own in nature and usually occurs as the oxide and silicates. has many minerals.

**3. Comparison to Similar Elements **
 * Germanium **is rather strong, very brittle, and prone to chipping, much like silicon. Also germanium crystallizes in a diamond cubic structure. It also has a grayish color to it. Because of Germanium's similar properties to silicon like being a semiconductor, it has unique electrical properties that allow it to be used in many modern day technologies, like silicon. The only reason silicon is used more is because it is able to operate at much higher temperatures.

"In solid state electronics, either pure silicon or [|germanium] may be used as the [|intrinsic semiconductor] which forms the starting point for fabrication"(Silicon and Germanium).

**Carbon** is like silicon because it makes diamond cubic structures (also like germanium).

"It’s almost as electropositive as tin and much more positive than germanium or lead." (Lenn)

**4. Pricing ** Refined Silicon, because of increase demand (solar cells) has risen from 24$ kg to 450$ a kg, so very expensive. Also with the up and coming of the "technology age" there has been a phenomenal increase in demand for computer chips and radio transmitter which all come from refined silicon.

But Refined silicon is not what it is all about. Silicon oxide (sand) still has a huge market and has a plethora of different products, for example quartz goes for anywhere between $60-$80 a sq. foot. Apparently sand is also a lively market, but sand is dirt cheap and only costing about $10-$15 a ton. That's right, with the change you've collected in your pockets over the past month, you can purchase 2,000 pounds of sand to put into the drinks of people who annoy you and prevent them from having grit-free oatmeal for the rest of eternity.

**5. Interesting Facts **

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The way silicon freezes and melt by having a greater density in a liquid state is similar to that of water. A crystal silicon when under mechanical stress, increases its electrical resistance which makes it very important especially in its application in modern technology. At high temperatures, silicon and oxygen =====

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 have a great affinity for one another and these conditions are conducive to the beginning of the solar system and that is why there are so many silicate minerals in the Earth's crust (90%). =====

**6. Works Cited**

"Silicon." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. .

"Uses of Silicon." //Want to Know It | Answers to Life's Questions | Everything Blog//. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. .

Two Steps from "Heck" "Greatest Battle Music Of All Times: To Glory - YouTube." //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.// Web. 19 Jan. 2012. .

Gagnon, Steve. "It's Elemental - The Element Silicon." //Science Education at Jefferson Lab//. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. <http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele014.html>.

Lenn. "Silicon (Si) - Chemical Properties, Health and Environmental Effects." //Water Treatment and Purification - Lenntech//. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. <http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/si.htm>.

"Silicon and Germanium." //Silicon and Germanium//. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. <http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/sili.html>.