9781422279496

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Silicon

abundant element in the crust, second only to oxygen. In its pure form, silicon is a hard and brittle solid with a shiny blueish-gray color. However, silicon is rarely found on Earth in its pure form. Instead, it forms compounds that become minerals such as quartz. Quartz exists in a number of colors, including pink, clear, gray, purple, and white. Silicon is all around us. It is used in the building materials that make up our homes and businesses, it is found in all our electronic

Quartz is made mostly of silicon; other elements or minerals provide colors.

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