0
ndustrially, silica is converted to pure silicon by heating it with coke (the form of coal, not the drink) in a furnace. But there's an even easier, if less cost-effective, method that I learned from Jason Stainer, a science teacher in England. All you have to do is heat a mixture of common silica sand and magnesium powder in a test tube. The magnesium steals the oxygen atoms from the silica, leaving elemental silicon.
No reaction is perfect, and in this case you're left with a mixture of magnesium, magnesium oxide, magnesium silicide and silicon in the bottom of the test tube. Fortunately, the best way to purify it is also the most entertaining. I told my eight-year-old Harry Potter fan that I had prepared a fire potion.
First pour one cup of what is sold in any hardware store as muriatic acid (37% HCl) into five cups of water. (Not the other way around. The old chemist's saying "Do as you oughta, add acid to watta" is there to protect you from steam explosions that can occur if water is poured into acid instead of acid into water.) Then dump in the contents of the test tube, and you'll get a wonderful frothing mass of flaming bubbles and a lovely mushroom cloud of smoke. This is one of the best can't-fail fire potions. (
What else can I help you with?
What is the most familiar semiconductor?
silicon and germanium
What is Si transistor?
A silicon transistor is a transistor made of silicon.
What are examples of semiconductors?
Germenium and silicon are the examples of Semiconductors.
What is a catchy phrase for silicon?
silicon carbide, that is a SiC molecule to grind with!
Why germanium and silicon are considered as best semiconductors?
actually diamond should be much better, if fabrication issues can be solved, it is faster and will operate up to 600ºC junction temperature. Silicon is limited to 150ºC junction temperature and Germanium is limited to 50ºC to 60ºC. Germanium was originally used because it was easiest to purify and process. Silicon is the cheapest material now, it comes from sand and there is no shortage of that.
Is silicon made out of sand?
Silicon is not made out of sand, but it is a naturally occurring element found in sand, quartz, and other minerals. Sand is primarily made up of silica, which is a compound of silicon and oxygen. Silicon is extracted from sand and then processed to create various products, such as computer chips.
Is sand a metalloid?
No. Sand is a mixture of different substances. The term metalloid applies to a particular class of elements. One metalloid, silicon, is one of the most abundant elements in sand to the point that silicon is often extracted from sand.
Silicon and what make up sand?
Silicon and Oxygen make up sand.
What is a mixture carbon dioxide silicon silicon dixode sand?
sand is a mixture
Are there small amounts of silicon in sand?
It depends on what tipe of sand. Regular beach sand has almost everything in it.
Uses for sand?
Sand castles, if in a bag, weights for holding stuff down, it could be used for glass, artificial beaches, could be a replacement soil for plants that survive with it and it can have the silicon extracted out of it to be used for computer chips.
Sand consists of silicon and what other element?
Oxygen. Sand is primarily made of silicon dioxide, which comprises silicon and oxygen atoms in a 1:2 ratio.
Sand is the oxide of what element?
Sand is primarily composed of silicon dioxide, which is an oxide of silicon.
What compound is common in sand and what elements does the compound contain?
The main constituent of sand is Silicon Dioxide. This compound contains silicon and oxygen.
Where is silicon original come form?
Silicon is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust, found in various minerals such as quartz and silicates. It is also commonly found in sand, rocks, and soil. Silicon is extracted from these natural sources through a process called silica mining or extraction.
Where silicon obtained from?
Silicon is obtained from silica, which is found in abundance in the Earth's crust as a major component of sand and quartz. It is commonly extracted from silica through a process called carbothermic reduction, where silica is mixed with carbon and heated to high temperatures in an electric arc furnace to produce silicon.
Is sand in silicon?
No, sand is not silicon. Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of minerals and rock fragments. Silicon, on the other hand, is a chemical element found in various forms, including as a major component of sand in the form of silicon dioxide (SiO2).
