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{{Short description|Chemical element with atomic number 14}}{{Distinguish|text=the silicon-containing synthetic polymer silicone}}{{Other uses}}{{Redirect|Element 14}}{{Good article}}

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Silicon is a chemical element; it has symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic table: carbon is above it; and germanium, tin, lead, and flerovium are below it. It is relatively unreactive. Silicon (Si) element is a significant element that is essential for several physiological and metabolic processes in plants. Si is widely regarded as the predominant semiconductor material due to its versatile applications in various electrical devices such as transistors, solar cells, integrated circuits, and others. These may be due to its significant band gap, expansive optical transmission range, extensive absorption spectrum, surface roughening, and effective anti-reflection coating.Nabil, M., Elnouby, M., Al-Askar, A., Kowalczewski, P., Abdelkhalek, A. & Behiry, S. (2024). Porous silicon nanostructures: Synthesis, characterization, and their antifungal activity. Open Chemistry, 22(1), 20230169.doi.org/10.1515/chem-2023-0169Because of its high chemical affinity for oxygen, it was not until 1823 that Jöns Jakob Berzelius was first able to prepare it and characterize it in pure form. Its oxides form a family of anions known as silicates. Its melting and boiling points of 1414 Â°C and 3265 Â°C, respectively, are the second highest among all the metalloids and nonmetals, being surpassed only by boron.{{efn|Although carbon remains solid at higher temperatures than silicon, it sublimes at atmospheric pressure instead of melting and boiling, so it has no melting point and boiling point.}}Silicon is the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, but very rarely occurs as the pure element in the Earth’s crust. It is widely distributed throughout space in cosmic dusts, planetoids, and planets as various forms of silicon dioxide (silica) or silicates. More than 90% of the Earth’s crust is composed of silicate minerals, making silicon the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust (about 28% by mass), after oxygen.Most silicon is used commercially without being separated, often with very little processing of the natural minerals. Such use includes industrial construction with clays, silica sand, and stone. Silicates are used in Portland cement for mortar and stucco, and mixed with silica sand and gravel to make concrete for walkways, foundations, and roads. They are also used in whiteware ceramics such as porcelain, and in traditional silicate-based soda–lime glass and many other specialty glasses. Silicon compounds such as silicon carbide are used as abrasives and components of high-strength ceramics. Silicon is the basis of the widely used synthetic polymers called silicones.The late 20th century to early 21st century has been described as the Silicon Age (also known as the Digital Age or Information Age) because of the large impact that elemental silicon has on the modern world economy. The small portion of very highly purified elemental silicon used in semiconductor electronics (