014 Silicon
014 Silicon
012 Magnesium013 Aluminum014 Silicon015 Phosphorus016 SulfurBlankBlankBlank006 Carbon014 Silicon032 Germanium050 Tin082 Lead114 114
Elements in the same column in the periodic table share many chemical properties with each other. They are in the same column because they have the same number of electrons in their outer shell, and by and large it's outer shell electrons that determine chemical bonding behavior.

Because silicon is directly below carbon, and because carbon's chemical properties are the basis of life, people sometimes speculate on whether silicon could form the bases for a whole other system of life. So far the closest anyone has come to finding such life forms is an episode of Star Trek. And if there is ever life based on silicon, it's a pretty safe bet that it won't be because of silicon's chemical similarity to carbon, but rather because it's a semiconductor out of which you can build electronic computers.

Silicon is also distinguished by the fact that huge quantities of it are refined to a higher purity than any other substance ever has been. The routine creation of multi-hundred pound single crystals of hyper-pure silicon, and their subsequent slicing into wafers and etching into microcircuits, is perhaps the defining technical wonder of our age. Just as cathedral building was the ultimate expression of medieval technology, the handling of silicon is ours.
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014.1
Silicon wafer.
These are broken pieces of etched silicon wafer purchased at the Tech Museum in San Jose, in the late 1990s. No idea what chips are on the wafer.
Source: The Tech Museum, San Jose, California
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 15 April, 2002
Price: $20/unbroken wafer
Size: 1.5"
Purity: 99.9999%
014.2
SoundSilicon Boule Top.
This is the cut-off top of a cylindrical crystal grown for slicing into wafers for chip fabrication. The cone-shaped top where the crystal started growing is waste in this process. Purchased in May 2002 through eBay from SoCal (Nevada), Inc, 909-302-9413, socal403@earthlink.net.
This is a weird substance, especially the glossy melt surface. It's so clearly half way between a metal and not a metal: Shiny and lustrous like platinum, yet crystalline and brittle like sulfur. Listen to the sound of this sample and contrast it with the sounds of lumps or bars of metal: It's definitely not a metal sound.
When the package arrived, our teenage baby-sitter took one look at it and said "THAT'S SILICONE???!!". Given the shape and her confusion between silicon and silicone, it's not hard to imagine what was going through her mind.
Source: SoCal (Nevada), Inc
Contributor: Theodore Gray
Acquired: 11 May, 2002
Price: $30
Size: 4"
Purity: 99.9999%
014.3
3DChunk of 99.9999% crystal.
Kindly donated by David Franco, who sent many elements after seeing the slashdot discussion.
Source: David Franco
Contributor: David Franco
Acquired: 17 May, 2002
Price: Donated
Size: 1.5"
Purity: 99.9999%
014.4
Crumb of asteroid.
Ed talked to Doug Bowman, a local mathematician and asteroid and puzzle collector. (He collects asteroids and puzzles, not mathematicians.) Doug has many nice iron meteorites but was willing to donate this primarily silicon-based one because it was all broken up already.
Source: Doug Bowman
Contributor: Doug Bowman
Acquired: 12 July, 2002
Price: Donated
Size: 0.2"
Purity: >50%
014.5
Sample from the Red Green and Blue Company Element Set.
The Red Green and Blue company in England sells a very nice element collection in several versions. Max Whitby, the director of the company, very kindly donated a complete set to the periodic table table.

To learn more about the set you can visit my page about element collecting for a general description or the company's website which includes many photographs and pricing details. I have two photographs of each sample from the set: One taken by me and one from the company. You can see photographs of all the samples displayed in a periodic table format: my pictures or their pictures. Or you can see both side-by-side with bigger pictures in numerical order.

The picture on the left was taken by me. Here is the company's version (there is some variation between sets, so the pictures sometimes show different variations of the samples):


Source: Max Whitby of The Red Green & Blue Company
Contributor: Max Whitby of The Red Green & Blue Company
Acquired: 25 January, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 0.2"
Purity: 98.4%
014.6
Sample from the Everest Element Set.
Up until the early 1990's a company in Russia sold a periodic table collection with element samples. At some point their American distributor sold off the remaining stock to a man who is now selling them on eBay. The samples (excepted gasses) weight about 0.25 grams each, and the whole set comes in a very nice wooden box with a printed periodic table in the lid.

To learn more about the set you can visit my page about element collecting for a general description and information about how to buy one, or you can see photographs of all the samples from the set displayed on my website in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.

Source: Rob Accurso
Contributor: Rob Accurso
Acquired: 7 February, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 0.2"
Purity: >99%
Lepidolite
3DLepidolite from Jensan Set.
This sample represents lithium in the "The Grand Tour of the Periodic Table" mineral collection from Jensan Scientifics. Visit my page about element collecting for a general description, or see photographs of all the samples from the set in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.
Source: Jensan Scientifics
Contributor: Jensan Scientifics
Acquired: 17 March, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Composition: K(Li,Al)3(Si,Al)4O10(F,OH)2
AquamarineBeryl3
3DAquamarine Beryl from Jensan Set.
This sample represents beryllium in the "The Grand Tour of the Periodic Table" mineral collection from Jensan Scientifics. Visit my page about element collecting for a general description, or see photographs of all the samples from the set in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.
Source: Jensan Scientifics
Contributor: Jensan Scientifics
Acquired: 17 March, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Composition: Be3Al2Si6O18
Apophyllite
3DApophyllite from Jensan Set.
This sample represents oxygen in the "The Grand Tour of the Periodic Table" mineral collection from Jensan Scientifics. Visit my page about element collecting for a general description, or see photographs of all the samples from the set in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.
Source: Jensan Scientifics
Contributor: Jensan Scientifics
Acquired: 17 March, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Composition: KCa4Si8O20(F,OH).8H2O + KCa4Si8O20(OH,F).8H2O
Sodalite
3DSodalite from Jensan Set.
This sample represents sodium in the "The Grand Tour of the Periodic Table" mineral collection from Jensan Scientifics. Visit my page about element collecting for a general description, or see photographs of all the samples from the set in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.
Source: Jensan Scientifics
Contributor: Jensan Scientifics
Acquired: 17 March, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Composition: Na4Al3Si3O12Cl
Chrysotile
Chrysotile from Jensan Set.
This sample represents magnesium in the "The Grand Tour of the Periodic Table" mineral collection from Jensan Scientifics. Visit my page about element collecting for a general description, or see photographs of all the samples from the set in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.
Source: Jensan Scientifics
Contributor: Jensan Scientifics
Acquired: 17 March, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Composition: Mg3Si2O5(OH)4
Quartz
3DQuartz from Jensan Set.
This sample represents silicon in the "The Grand Tour of the Periodic Table" mineral collection from Jensan Scientifics. Visit my page about element collecting for a general description, or see photographs of all the samples from the set in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.
Source: Jensan Scientifics
Contributor: Jensan Scientifics
Acquired: 17 March, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Composition: SiO2
RutileQuartz
Rutile Quartz from Jensan Set.
This sample represents titanium (in the needles) in the "The Grand Tour of the Periodic Table" mineral collection from Jensan Scientifics. Visit my page about element collecting for a general description, or see photographs of all the samples from the set in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.
Source: Jensan Scientifics
Contributor: Jensan Scientifics
Acquired: 17 March, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Composition: TiO2+SiO2
Garnierite
Garnierite from Jensan Set.
This sample represents nickel in the "The Grand Tour of the Periodic Table" mineral collection from Jensan Scientifics. Visit my page about element collecting for a general description, or see photographs of all the samples from the set in a periodic table layout or with bigger pictures in numerical order.
Source: Jensan Scientifics
Contributor: Jensan Scientifics
Acquired: 17 March, 2003
Price: Donated
Size: 1"
Composition: (Ni,Mg)3Si2O5(OH)4
AquamarineBeryl
3DAquamarine Beryl. (External Sample)
Beryl is named after its beryllium content. It comes in a great variety of shapes and colors.
Location: John Gray's Collection
Photographed: 11 March, 2003
Size: 3"
Composition: Be3Al2Si6O18
AquamarineBeryl2
3DAquamarine Beryl. (External Sample)
Beryl is named after its beryllium content. It comes in a great variety of shapes and colors.
Location: John Gray's Collection
Photographed: 11 March, 2003
Size: 3"
Composition: Be3Al2Si6O18