Element identity
Atomic number, symbol, relative atomic mass display and periodic position are established reference data.
Atomic / electronic model
Ground-state electron configuration and atomic reference values are compiled/evaluated data; orbital graphics are teaching probability models, not photographs.
Material / molecular structure
The displayed ordinary structure is based on established material or molecular science; simplified viewers are labelled as teaching schematics where exact crystallographic coordinates are not rendered.
Temperature / phase path
Transition values are reference/evaluated values for the stated teaching path; pressure, purity and allotropy can matter.
Geography
Real pins use reviewed place/dataset context. Conceptual layers are used when country pins would imply false occurrence, unsafe inventory or an incomplete global distribution.
The lens describes evidence status, not confidence theatre. “Unknown” is kept unknown, and teaching schematics are not presented as direct measurements.
Silicon (Si)
Silicon is the Group 14 metalloid at the center of modern semiconductor technology. Its four valence electrons build a tetrahedral diamond-cubic network, while its electronic band structure allows conductivity to be controlled by temperature and carefully introduced impurities.
Silicon atomic number, mass, electron configuration and key properties
Silicon: quick answers
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does silicon have?
Silicon’s atomic number is 14, so every silicon atom has 14 protons, and a neutral atom also has 14 electrons. Its most common natural isotope, silicon-28, has 14 neutrons (other isotopes have different neutron counts).
What is the symbol for silicon?
The chemical symbol for silicon is Si.
Is silicon a solid, liquid or gas at room temperature?
Silicon is a solid at room temperature (about 25 °C).
What family (group) is silicon in?
Silicon is a metalloid, in group 14, period 3 of the periodic table.
How many valence electrons does silicon have?
Silicon has 4 valence electrons, the electrons in its outer shell, which matches its position in group 14.
What is the electron configuration of silicon?
The ground-state electron configuration of silicon is [Ne] 3s² 3p².
From atomic number to chemistry
Read these as a chain of causes, not as isolated facts. Each step links to the concept hub if you want the underlying idea explained.
Fourteen protons define silicon; neutral Si contains 14 electrons.
Four valence electrons provide the starting point for tetrahedral covalent bonding.
Silicon lies below carbon and bridges familiar nonmetallic and metallic trends.
Covalent bonding plus the solid band structure produces semiconducting behavior.
Silicon group, period and periodic-table neighbors
Silicon lies in Period 3 between aluminium and phosphorus, directly below carbon and above germanium in Group 14.
Silicon Visual Lab
Decode the tile, rotate a silicon-28 nucleus and diamond-cubic teaching model, inspect atomic orbital shapes, compare stable isotopes, then connect silicon to chips, glass and Earth materials.
Every mark connects to a physical idea
Silicon in one minute
Four valence electrons. Silicon shares the Group 14 count with carbon.
Diamond-cubic network. Each atom is tetrahedrally connected to four neighbors.
Semiconductor. A modest band gap allows conductivity to be controlled.
Crustal giant. Silicon is a major component of rocks, usually as silica and silicates.
Three stable isotopes. ²⁸Si dominates natural silicon.
2 · 8 · 4
In the diamond-cubic network, tetrahedral covalent bonding lets each Si atom connect to four neighboring atoms.
Crystalline silicon is an extended diamond-cubic covalent network. Each silicon atom has four nearest neighbors in approximately tetrahedral directions; it is not a collection of discrete Si₄ molecules.
The Crystal tab retains the full interactive 3D network and local-tetrahedron views.[Ne] 3s² 3p²
Four valence electrons provide the isolated-atom starting point. In the crystal, many atomic states combine into extended valence and conduction bands.
Each Si has four nearest neighbors
The diamond-cubic structure is an extended network rather than a collection of discrete Si₄ molecules.
Where do I meet silicon?
Clickable cards connect the same element to chips, solar cells, glass, rocks and engineered materials.
Why is silicon a semiconductor?
The answer is a solid-state band-structure story, not simply “silicon has four valence electrons.”
A filled valence band is separated from the conduction band
Near room temperature the band gap is about 1.12 eV. Thermal energy, light or dopants can create mobile electrons and holes.
NIST semiconductor referenceSilicon atomic, crystal, electronic, thermal, chemical and isotope data
Silicon does not need a metal-style tab set. Its deeper reference structure centers on the diamond-cubic solid, semiconductor physics and isotope context.
| Atomic number | 14 | Reference identity | Evaluated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relative atomic mass | 28.085 | Natural isotope-weighted value | Evaluated |
| Electron configuration | [Ne] 3s² 3p² | Neutral ground-state atom | Evaluated |
| Electronegativity | 1.90 | Pauling scale | Evaluated |
| 1st ionization energy | ≈786.5 kJ/mol | Atomic reference | Evaluated |
| Crystal structure | Diamond cubic | Ordinary crystalline silicon | Measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lattice parameter | ≈543.1 pm | Room-temperature reference scale | Evaluated |
| Band gap | ≈1.12 eV | Room-temperature semiconductor reference | Evaluated |
| Conductivity control | Temperature + doping dependent | Semiconductor behavior; not a simple “conductor/insulator” label | Reviewed |
| Density | 2.3296 g/cm³ | Crystalline solid reference | Evaluated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting point | 1687 K | Approximately normal pressure | Evaluated |
| Boiling point | 3538 K | Reference value | Evaluated |
| High-pressure caveat | Additional phases exist | The one-dimensional temperature path is not a full pressure-temperature diagram | Reviewed |
| Common oxidation state | +4 | Frequent in SiO₂ and silicate chemistry | Evaluated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network-forming chemistry | Strong Si–O frameworks | Central to silica and silicate minerals | Reviewed |
| Element vs compound | Si ≠ silica ≠ silicone | Elemental silicon, SiO₂ and siloxane polymers are different materials | Reviewed |
| Technology context | Semiconductors · solar cells · alloys | Uses depend on highly controlled material forms | Reviewed |
| ²⁸Si | 92.223% | Stable · 14 p + 14 n | Evaluated |
|---|---|---|---|
| ²⁹Si | 4.685% | Stable · 14 p + 15 n | Evaluated |
| ³⁰Si | 3.092% | Stable · 14 p + 16 n | Evaluated |
| Structure viewer | Teaching crystal model | Explains diamond-cubic connectivity; not a thermal trajectory | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orbital viewer | Isolated-atom probability model | Does not directly represent the semiconductor band structure | Reviewed |
| Source rule | See source list below | Numerical values and model limitations are kept distinct | Reviewed |
What happens as silicon gets hotter?
Simplified approximately normal-pressure path. High-pressure silicon has additional phases not represented by this one-dimensional control.
Silicon is a major crustal element
RSC’s crustal abundance figure is about 282,000 ppm by mass. Silicon is mostly bound in silica and silicate minerals rather than present as elemental silicon.
Silicon history: from silica to semiconductor electronics
Silica materials
Quartz, sand and glass were familiar long before elemental silicon was isolated.
Berzelius
Jöns Jacob Berzelius prepared a relatively pure form of elemental silicon.
Semiconductor era
High-purity silicon became foundational to transistors and integrated circuits.
Electronics + solar
Silicon dominates many electronic and photovoltaic technologies.
From silica-rich feedstocks to silicon
Industrial silicon starts from silica-rich raw materials. Metallurgical reduction produces silicon for alloys and chemical feedstocks; semiconductor applications require much higher purification and crystal control.
Silica feed
Quartz and other high-silica materials provide the silicon source.
High-temperature reduction
Industrial furnaces chemically reduce silicon dioxide.
Refine for the application
Metallurgical, chemical and electronic grades require very different purities.
Crystal engineering
Electronic-grade material is grown and processed under tight impurity control.
Where silicon is used
Integrated circuits
Controlled doping and oxide interfaces make silicon a foundational device material.
Solar cells
Crystalline silicon is the dominant absorber in many photovoltaic modules.
Glass + ceramics
Silica and silicates underpin a huge family of glass and ceramic materials.
Alloys
Silicon modifies properties of aluminium, iron and other alloy systems.
Silicones
Silicon-oxygen polymer backbones create elastomers, fluids and sealants.
Minerals
Silicate minerals dominate much of the rocky crust.
Silicon-28, silicon-29 and silicon-30
Five-question Silicon check
How many valence electrons does neutral silicon have?
What is silicon’s room-temperature crystal structure?
Why is silicon useful as a semiconductor?
Which isotope dominates natural silicon?
How is silicon usually found in Earth’s crust?
Silicon questions: quick answer first, then the mechanism
Why is silicon a semiconductor?
Short answer: Its crystal has an electronic band gap small enough for charge carriers to be generated and engineered.
In a crystal, atomic orbitals combine into bands. Silicon’s valence band and conduction band are separated by about 1.12 eV near room temperature, allowing carrier populations to be changed by heat, light and dopants.
Why does silicon form a diamond-cubic crystal?
Short answer: Tetrahedral covalent bonding favors four nearest neighbors in an extended three-dimensional network.
The diamond-cubic arrangement satisfies the directional bonding pattern while repeating through the crystal.
Silicon vs silicone: what is the difference?
Short answer: Silicon is the chemical element Si; silicones are a family of polymers and related compounds built around repeating Si–O bonds with organic groups attached to silicon.
Elemental silicon is a crystalline Group 14 material whose electronic band structure makes it central to semiconductor technology. A silicone is not “soft silicon”: it is a different chemical substance, commonly a siloxane polymer with an alternating silicon–oxygen backbone. Its properties come from that molecular/polymeric structure and the attached organic groups.
Keep the chemical objects separate: Si (elemental solid), SiO₂ (silica), silicate minerals and silicones are not interchangeable names.
Key point: Similar spelling does not mean similar material: silicon is an element; silicone is a class of silicon–oxygen polymers.
Scientific sources for Silicon
Questions to ask next about Silicon
A good element lesson should lead to the next useful question, not end after a list of facts.
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