silicon

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References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Jöns Jacob Berzelius

Earth's crust composition

Explore an interactive periodic table of the elements

solar energy; solar cell

For Students

silicon summary

Discover

Time zone map with standard time zones and International Date Line

Why Are Some Time Zones 30 Minutes Off Instead of an Hour?

Middle East bee locator map

Are the Middle East and the Near East the Same Thing?

Estimated battle casualties, Normandy invasion, World War II. WWII, D-Day

Estimated Battle Casualties During the Normandy Invasion and Campaign to Liberate Paris (June–August 1944)

Scolex (head) of the tapeworm Taenia solium. The hooks of the scolex enable the tapeworm to attach to the intestinal wall.

Uninvited Guests: The 7 Worst Parasitic Worms

Normandy Invasion: Omaha Beach. World War II. D-Day. Infographic. SPOTLIGHT VERSION

Facts and Figures About the Landings on Omaha Beach During the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Statue of Nostradamus

Nostradamus and His Prophecies

silicon: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2025

News •

Scientists build a fully 2D, non-silicon computer • June 14, 2025, 10:54 PM ET (Daily Star)

Atom-thin tech replaces silicon in the world’s first 2D computer • June 12, 2025, 6:33 AM ET (ScienceDaily)

Facts

Also Known As	Si

Photos and Videos

Jöns Jacob Berzelius

Earth's crust composition

solar energy; solar cell

Learn about the mining and purification of silicon

See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Topics

silicon detector silicon-28 silicon-29 silicon-30 amorphous silicon surface reconstruction Takayanagi 7×7 structure hydrogenated amorphous silicon hydrosilation chemical element hydrogen carbon sodium nitrogen sulfur phosphorus boron iodine fluorine zinc

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

materials science: Silicon

Key People

Jöns Jacob Berzelius

Jöns Jacob Berzelius

Swedish chemist

Frederick Becket

Frederick Mark Becket

American metallurgist

Quiz

battery. Illustration of battery connected to lightbulb. Power a light bulb with a battery. Battery, Power Supply, Science, Circuit, Currents

Electricity: Short Circuits & Direct Currents

Periodic Table of the elements concept image (chemistry)

Facts You Should Know: The Periodic Table Quiz

Concept artwork on the periodic table of elements.

118 Names and Symbols of the Periodic Table Quiz