Silicon

**Symbol:** Si **Atomic number:** 14 **International name:** Silicon **Relative Atomic Weight:** 28.0855 **Description:** Silicon is a relatively hard metalloid with a honeycomb structure and a silvery blue-grey color. It is brittle and not malleable, but it remains highly stable when exposed to air. **Applications:** Silicon is used in the production of glass, porcelain and cement. In the chemical industry, it plays a role in iron production. Extremely pure silicon is essential for manufacturing semiconductor devices, which are used in computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. **Occurrence:** Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is found naturally only in the form of compounds, primarily silicates and aluminosilicates. Some of its most notable minerals include silica SiO₂, which occurs in many color varieties (e.g., purple amethyst, colorless quartz, yellow citrine, pink rose quartz and brown smoky quartz). **Structure:** Silicon crystallizes in a cubic crystal system with a face-centered lattice structure.