Silicon

Elements main page

Silicon, Si, atomic number 14, is a well-used element in common life, being in tiny computer chips and diodes that control almost everything around these days.

It is used in these tiny chips because it has very unique electrical aspects, being that you can make it either conduct electricity, or not, depending on a smaller control charge. This means that a small change can be amplified easily into a big change, which it turn can cause more changes, which proves quite useful for computers and radios.

Silicon is also very common on the earth's surface, making up over 25% of it, in the form of many kinds of rocks, and sand, which are both fairly easily purified. Silicon compounds are also crucial in making another incredibly useful material, being glass, which is one of my favorite things to work with and make things out of.

Silicone is one of the most purified-by-man elements there is, because it must be pure for the computer chip industry, very large crystals that are over 99.999999% pure are fairly easily available commercially.

These are my samples!