Silicon is a hard, crystalline element that is commonly found in sand and rocks. It is extracted from silicon dioxide by heating it in an electric furnace to remove oxygen. Silicon has many important uses - it is used to make glasses, enamels, soap, and artificial rubber through its compounds. Its pure form is used to make important electronic components like transistors, microchips, and photocells. Silicon enhances the properties of steel when mixed in and is also used in semiconductors for the electronics industry.

1. How is silicon useful to us?
By Heet

2. • Pure silicon is a hard, dark-grey coloured
material. It shines like a metal and is
crystalline in nature. At ordinary temperature,
it does not react with other elements, but at
higher temperatures it forms compounds with
each other elements. Silicon is a non-metallic,
semi-conductive element.

3. • Silicon is found in the form of silica, which is
another form silicon dioxide, a compound of
silicon and oxygen. Quartz, jasper, milky stone
and sand – all are different forms of silica.
Silicate is another compound of silica. Mica
and asbestos are well-known forms of silicate.

4. • Silicon is extracted from the compound silicon
dioxide. When silicon dioxide is heated in an
electric furnace, oxygen is removed and silicon
is separated from silicon dioxide.

5. • The Earth’s crust has 28% of silicon, whereas
china clay contains 50% silicon. It is also found
in rocks, sand, water, bones, etc. Sand has a
large quantity of silicon.

6. • Silicates are very useful to us. They are used in
making many different kinds of glasses,
enamels, china clay, etc. Sodium silicate is
used in making of soaps, prevention in rotting
of wood and eggs and in dyeing. It is also used
in smoothening and making of artificial
rubber. Chief use of silicon in its pure form is
to make photocells, transistors and silicon
chips containing microcircuits for computers
and other electric components.

7. • A compound of silicon and carbon or
carborundum is used for grinding and
polishing metals and glass. By mixing silicon in
steel, its utility is enhanced. Silicon is also
used in semi-conductors, which have proved
very useful in electronics industry. Silicon is
also mixed with sand and earth is used for
making bricks.