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silicon

Primary Information
Secondary Information

Definition

Silicon is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust, after oxygen. It is a nonmetal that is found in many different forms, including sand, rocks, and crystals.

Silicon is a very important element for life. It is the main component of silicon dioxide, which is the main ingredient in glass. Silicon is also used to make semiconductors, which are the building blocks of computers and other electronic devices.

How can the word be used?

The computer chip is made of silicon.

silicon

Different forms of the word

Noun:

  • a nonmetallic chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, after oxygen.
  • a semiconductor that is used in a wide variety of electronic devices, such as computer chips and solar cells.

Adjective:

  • relating to or containing silicon.

Etymology

The word "silicon" comes from the Latin word "silex", which means "flint" or "hard stone".

The first recorded use of the word "silicon" in English was in 1811.

The word "silicon" is a Latin word, and it is related to the English word "silica".

Question

What is silicon used for?