Silicon vs. Silicone — What's the Difference?

A chemical element with symbol Si.

A synthetic polymer.

Found abundantly in Earth's crust.

Acts as an effective sealant.

Used in electronics for its conductive properties.

Derived from silicon and other elements.

Forms the base of quartz.

Used in medical and cosmetic applications.

Hard and brittle in its crystalline form.

Notably heat-resistant and rubbery.

Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic lustre, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor.

A silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer made up of siloxane (−R2Si−O−SiR2−, where R = organic group). They are typically colorless, oils or rubber-like substances.

A nonmetallic element occurring extensively in the earth's crust in silica and silicates, having both a brown amorphous and a gray lustrous crystalline allotrope, and used doped or in combination with other materials in glass, semiconducting devices, concrete, brick, refractories, pottery, and silicones. Atomic number 14; atomic weight 28.086; melting point 1,414°C; boiling point 3,265°C; specific gravity 2.33 (25°C); valence 2, 4. See Periodic Table.

Any of a class of synthetic materials which are polymers with a chemical structure based on chains of alternate silicon and oxygen atoms, with organic groups attached to the silicon atoms. Such compounds are typically resistant to chemical attack and insensitive to temperature changes and are used to make rubber and plastics and in polishes and lubricants

A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.

Join or otherwise treat (something) with a silicone

A single atom of this element.

Any of a large group of oligomers and polymers based on the structural unit R2SiO, where R is an organic group, characterized by wide-range thermal stability, high lubricity, extreme water repellence, and physiological inertness and used in adhesives, lubricants, protective coatings, paints, electrical insulation, synthetic rubber, and prosthetic replacements for body parts.

(slang) computing

(chemistry) Any of a class of inert, semi-inorganic polymeric compounds (polysiloxanes), that have a wide range of thermal stability and extreme water repellence, used in a very wide range of industrial applications, and in prosthetic replacements for body parts.

(slang) computer processor

(transitive) To join or treat (something) with a silicone-based product.

Abbreviation of silicon chip

To enhance or reconstruct (a body part) with a prosthesis containing silicone.

A nonmetalic element analogous to carbon. It always occurs combined in nature, and is artificially obtained in the free state, usually as a dark brown amorphous powder, or as a dark crystalline substance with a meetallic luster. Its oxide is silica, or common quartz, and in this form, or as silicates, it is, next to oxygen, the most abundant element of the earth's crust. Silicon is characteristically the element of the mineral kingdom, as carbon is of the organic world. Symbol Si. Atomic weight 28. Called also silicium.

Any of a large class of siloxanes that are unusually stable over a wide range of temperatures; used in lubricants and adhesives and coatings and synthetic rubber and electrical insulation

A tetravalent nonmetallic element; next to oxygen it is the most abundant element in the earth's crust; occurs in clay and feldspar and granite and quartz and sand; used as a semiconductor in transistors

Silicon is primarily used in the electronics industry for making semiconductors.

No, Silicone is a synthetic compound derived from silicon and other elements.

Silicone is heat-resistant, flexible, and non-stick, making it ideal for cookware.

Yes, Silicon is a semiconductor and can conduct electricity under certain conditions.

Yes, medical-grade Silicone is considered safe for implants and various medical applications.

While Silicone is durable and long-lasting, it's not biodegradable but can often be recycled.

Silicon is usually extracted from silica, found in sand, through a smelting process.

Silicon is a semiconductor, meaning its conductivity can be altered and controlled, unlike typical metals.

Yes, Silicon can be melted at high temperatures exceeding 2,500°F (1,410°C).

It's challenging to paint over Silicone directly; surfaces often need priming first.

Trace amounts of Silicon are found in human tissues, and it's considered essential for bone growth.

Silicone is water-resistant and adheres well to various surfaces, making it an effective sealant.