Silicon

has properties of both metals and nonmetals.

has only properties of a metal.

has only properties of a nonmetal.

3 answers

Silicon has properties of both metals and nonmetals, which makes it a metalloid. It exhibits characteristics such as electrical conductivity that is intermediate between that of metals and nonmetals, and it can form covalent bonds typical of nonmetals. This unique combination of properties allows silicon to play a crucial role in various applications, particularly in the semiconductor industry.

The reason why elements of the same group share similar properties is because

they have the same number of total electrons.

they have the same number of protons.

they have the same number of valence electrons

The reason why elements of the same group share similar properties is because they have the same number of valence electrons.

Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom and are primarily responsible for an element's chemical properties and reactivity. Since elements in the same group (or column) of the periodic table have the same number of valence electrons, they often exhibit similar chemical behavior.