

Like its neighbour aluminium, silicon forms a thin, continuous surface layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2) that protects the metal from oxidation.Ī neutron is one of the subatomic particles that make up matter. Crystalline bulk silicon is rather inert, but becomes more reactive at high temperatures. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic table: carbon is above it and germanium, tin, and lead are below it. In the periodic table, the elements are listed in order of increasing atomic number Z.Įlectron configuration of Silicon is 3s2 3p2. The number of electrons in each element’s electron shells, particularly the outermost valence shell, is the primary factor in determining its chemical bonding behavior. The configuration of these electrons follows from the principles of quantum mechanics. Since the number of electrons and their arrangement are responsible for the chemical behavior of atoms, the atomic number identifies the various chemical elements. Each electron is influenced by the electric fields produced by the positive nuclear charge and the other (Z – 1) negative electrons in the atom. Therefore, the number of electrons in neutral atom of Silicon is 14.

The number of electrons in an electrically-neutral atom is the same as the number of protons in the nucleus. Silicon-30 is composed of 14 protons, 16 neutrons, and 14 electrons. Silicon-29 is composed of 14 protons, 15 neutrons, and 14 electrons.

Silicon-28 is composed of 14 protons, 14 neutrons, and 14 electrons. Out of these, only 29Si is of use in NMR and EPR spectroscopy, as it is the only one with a nuclear spin (I = 1/2). Naturally occurring silicon is composed of three stable isotopes, 28Si (92.23%), 29Si (4.67%), and 30Si (3.10%). Mass numbers of typical isotopes of Silicon are 28 29 30. Isotopes are nuclides that have the same atomic number and are therefore the same element, but differ in the number of neutrons. The difference between the neutron number and the atomic number is known as the neutron excess: D = N – Z = A – 2Z.įor stable elements, there is usually a variety of stable isotopes. Neutron number plus atomic number equals atomic mass number: N+Z=A. The total number of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom is called the neutron number of the atom and is given the symbol N. The total electrical charge of the nucleus is therefore +Ze, where e (elementary charge) equals to 1,602 x 10 -19 coulombs. Total number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number of the atom and is given the symbol Z. Silicon is a chemical element with atomic number 14 which means there are 14 protons in its nucleus.
