You may have made sand castles on the seashore or a riverbank. If you have, you have come in contact with silicon already.
Silica, an oxide of silicon, is the most common component of sand, which is found everywhere. Since sand and soil make up most of the crust of the Earth, about 27 per cent of it is silicon!
Silicon is widely used for various industrial purposes. Do you use a computer? Computer chips, transistors, and other electronic circuits are made of silicon. Besides computers, silicon is used in cosmetic implants, skin and hair gels, rubber hoses etc.
Most of the silicon on Earth is found in the form of silicon oxides such as sand and quartz. Silicon is extracted through a complex process. However, silicon is a prominent health hazard too. Inhalation of fine silica particles can cause a lung condition called ‘silicosis’.
Asbestos, a compound of silica, was once a favourite substance for making building. Now, we know that it can lead to lung cancer; and therefore, people avoid it. Atomic number of this element is 14, and the symbol is Si.
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