Silicon Facts for Kids

Silicon - Periodic Table of Elements
  • Name: Silicon
  • Symbol: Si
  • Atomic Number: 14
  • Atomic Weight: 28.0855 u
  • Period: 3
  • Group: 14

24 Silicon Facts for Kids

  1. Silicon is a chemical element on the periodic table.
  2. Silicon is a hard, but brittle solid crystalline.
  3. Silicon has a blue-grey metallic color.
  4. Silicon is a solid at room temperature.
  5. The symbol for silicon is Si.
  6. The atomic number for silicon is 14.
  7. The standard atomic weight for silicon is 28.0855 u.
  8. Silicon is in the metalloid element category on the periodic table.
  9. Silicon is a period 3 chemical element, which is the third row on the periodic table.
  10. Silicon is a group 14 chemical element, which is the carbon group.
  11. Silicon is in the p-block on the periodic table of elements.
  12. The electron configuration for silicon is [Ne] 3s2 3p2.
  13. The electrons per shell for silicon are 2, 8, 4.
  14. Silicon has three naturally occurring stable isotopes and they are 28Si, 29Si and 30Si.
  15. The melting point for silicon is 2,577°F (1,414 °C).
  16. The boiling point for silicon is 5,909 °F (3,265 °C).
  17. Silicon is the 2nd most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.
  18. In 1787, French chemist Antoine Lavoisier predicted the existence of silicon.
  19. In 1787, Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson gave this element the name silicon.
  20. In 1823, Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius isolated silicon for the first time and he is credited with its discovery.
  21. Silicon is the 7th most abundant element in the universe.
  22. According to the USGS, the world produced 7.2 million tons of silicon in 2016.
  23. According to the USGS, the top world producer of silicon was China with 4.6 million tons in 2016.
  24. Silicon is used in electronics, microelectronics and computers. In fact, it’s because of silicon while you’re able to read this web page on your computer, laptop or mobile device.

Additional Resources on the Chemical Element Silicon

  • Silicon – Learn more about the chemical element silicon on the U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
  • Silicon (Si) – Discover more facts about silicon on the Royal Society of Chemistry website.
  • Silicon – Wikipedia – Find more silicon facts on the Wikipedia website.

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