Silicon makes up 27.7 percent of Earth’s crust; it is the second most abundant element in the crust, being surpassed only by oxygen.
Highly purified silicon, doped (infused) with such elements as boron, phosphorus, and arsenic, is the basic material used in computer chips, transistors, silicon diodes, liquid crystal displays, and various other electronic and switching devices. ... Silicon of lesser purity is used in metallurgy as a reducing agent and as an alloying element in steel, aluminum, brass, and bronze.
Properties: at.no. 14; r.a.m. 28.086; r.d. 2.33; m.p. 1,410°C (2,570°F); b.p. 2,355°C (4,271°F); most common isotope Si28 (98.21%).
