
Silicon
Overview.Silicon, a tetravalent metalloid, is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium. Controversy about silicon's character dates to its discovery: silicon was first prepared and characterized in pure form in 1823. In 1808, it was given the name silicium (from...