Silicon

**Symbol:** Si

**Atomic number:** 14

**International title:** silicon

**Relative Atomic Weight:** 28,0855

**Information:** Silicon is a relatively hard honeycomb metalloid of silvery blue-grey color. It is fragile, but it is not malleable. In the air, it is very stable.

**Use:** It is used in the production of glass, porcelain and cement. In the chemical industry, silicon is used in iron production. Very pure silicon is used to produce semiconductor devices, which are part of, for example, computers and mobile phones.

**Occurrence:** Silicon is the second most widespread element in earth's crust. In nature, it occurs only in the form of compounds, especially silicates and aluminosilicates. Among its most important minerals is silica SiO₂, which has many colour varieties (eg purple amethyst, colourless crystal, yellow citrine, pink rosin, brown blush).

**Structure:** Silicon crystallizes into a cubic (cubic) system (a flat-centered base cell).