MediumChemistryHigh School (9–10)GeneralMixtures and Solutions › Elements, Compounds and ChangesConceptual
Silicon is called a metalloid. What does that mean?
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
- Silicon is called a metalloid. What does that mean?
- Why is it used in the chips of computers and phones?
- Name two other metalloids.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
An element has one kind of atom and cannot be broken down by a chemical change. Metals shine, are malleable, ductile and sonorous, and conduct heat and electricity; non-metals mostly do not; metalloids lie between. Symbols have a capital first letter; some come from Latin names (Na, K, Fe, Cu, Ag, Au, Pb, Hg).
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) A metalloid has properties between those of metals and non-metals. Silicon is shiny and grey like a metal, but brittle like a non-metal.
Step 2. (b) Silicon conducts electricity only a little, and the amount can be controlled by adding tiny traces of other elements. That control is what a chip needs.
Step 3. (c) Boron, germanium or arsenic.
Answer: (a) Between a metal and a non-metal. (b) It conducts a controllable amount. (c) For example boron and germanium.
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