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Periodic Table Element Comparison: Compare Elements - Germanium vs Silicon

Compare Germanium and Silicon

Compare Germanium and Silicon on the basis of their properties, attributes and periodic table facts. Compare elements on more than 90 properties. All the elements of similar categories show a lot of similarities and differences in their chemical, atomic, physical properties and uses. These similarities and dissimilarities should be known while we study periodic table elements. You can study the detailed comparison between Germanium vs Silicon with most reliable information about their properties, attributes, facts, uses etc. You can compare Ge vs Si on more than 90 properties like electronegativity , oxidation state, atomic shells, orbital structure, Electronaffinity, physical states, electrical conductivity and many more.

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1
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008

Atomic #

Electronic Shell #

Symbol
Name
Atomic Weight
HGas
HgLiquid
CSolid
Metals
Metalloids
NonMetals
Alkali metals
Alkali earth metals
Lanthanoids
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Other nonmetals
Halogens
Nobel gas
Actinoids
2
He
Helium
4.003
2
3
Li
Lithium
6.941
4
Be
Beryllium
9.012
5
B
Boron
10.811
6
C
Carbon
12.011
7
N
Nitrogen
14.007
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
9
F
Fluorine
18.998
10
Ne
Neon
20.180
3
11
Na
Sodium
22.990
12
Mg
Magnesium
24.305
13
Al
Aluminium
26.982
14
Si
Silicon
28.085
15
P
Phosphorus
30.974
16
S
Sulfur
32.065
17
Cl
Chlorine
35.453
18
Ar
Argon
39.948
4
19
K
Potassium
39.098
20
Ca
Calcium
40.078
21
Sc
Scandium
44.956
22
Ti
Titanium
47.867
23
V
Vanadium
50.941
24
Cr
Chromium
51.996
25
Mn
Manganese
54.938
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
27
Co
Cobalt
58.933
28
Ni
Nickel
58.693
29
Cu
Copper
63.546
30
Zn
Zinc
65.409
31
Ga
Gallium
69.723
32
Ge
Germanium
72.640
33
As
Arsenic
74.922
34
Se
Selenium
78.960
35
Br
Bromine
79.904
36
Kr
Krypton
83.798
5
37
Rb
Rubidium
85.468
38
Sr
Strontium
87.620
39
Y
Yttrium
88.906
40
Zr
Zirconium
91.224
41
Nb
Niobium
92.906
42
Mo
Molybdenum
95.940
43
Tc
Technetium
98
44
Ru
Ruthenium
101.070
45
Rh
Rhodium
102.906
46
Pd
Palladium
106.420
47
Ag
Silver
107.868
48
Cd
Cadmium
112.411
49
In
Indium
114.818
50
Sn
Tin
118.710
51
Sb
Antimony
121.760
52
Te
Tellurium
127.600
53
I
Iodine
126.904
54
Xe
Xenon
131.293
6
55
Cs
Cesium
132.905
56
Ba
Barium
137.327
57 - 71
La - Lu
Lanthanides
72
Hf
Hafnium
178.490
73
Ta
Tantalum
180.948
74
W
Tungsten
183.840
75
Re
Rhenium
186.207
76
Os
Osmium
190.230
77
Ir
Iridium
192.217
78
Pt
Platinum
195.078
79
Au
Gold
196.967
80
Hg
Mercury
200.590
81
Tl
Thallium
204.383
82
Pb
Lead
207.200
83
Bi
Bismuth
208.980
84
Po
Polonium
209
85
At
Astatine
210
86
Rn
Radon
222
7
87
Fr
Francium
223
88
Ra
Radium
226
89 - 103
Ac - Lr
Actinides
104
Rf
Rutherfordium
261
105
Db
Dubnium
262
106
Sg
Seaborgium
266
107
Bh
Bohrium
264
108
Hs
Hassium
269
109
Mt
Meitnerium
268
110
Ds
Darmstadtium
281
111
Rg
Roentgenium
272
112
Cn
Copernicium
285
113
Nh
Nihonium
284
114
Fl
Flerovium
289
115
Mc
Moscovium
288
116
Lv
Livermorium
292
117
Ts
Tennessine
294
118
Og
Oganesson
294
Lanthanides
57
La
Lanthanum
138.905
58
Ce
Cerium
140.116
59
Pr
Praseodymium
140.908
60
Nd
Neodymium
144.240
61
Pm
Promethium
145
62
Sm
Samarium
150.360
63
Eu
Europium
151.964
64
Gd
Gadolinium
157.250
65
Tb
Terbium
158.925
66
Dy
Dysprosium
162.500
67
Ho
Holmium
164.930
68
Er
Erbium
167.259
69
Tm
Thulium
168.934
70
Yb
Ytterbium
173.040
71
Lu
Lutetium
174.967
Actinides
89
Ac
Actinium
227
90
Th
Thorium
232.038
91
Pa
Protactinium
231.036
92
U
Uranium
238.029
93
Np
Neptunium
237
94
Pu
Plutonium
244
95
Am
Americium
243
96
Cm
Curium
247
97
Bk
Berkelium
247
98
Cf
Californium
251
99
Es
Einsteinium
252
100
Fm
Fermium
257
101
Md
Mendelevium
258
102
No
Nobelium
259
103
Lr
Lawrencium
262

Facts

NameGermaniumSilicon
Atomic Number3214
Atomic SymbolGeSi
Atomic Weight72.64 28.0855
Phase at STPSolid Solid
ColorGray Gray
Metallic ClassificationMetalloid Metalloid
Group in Periodic Tablegroup 14 group 14
Group Namecarbon familycarbon family
Period in Periodic Tableperiod 4 period 3
Block in Periodic Tablep -blockp -block
Electronic Configuration[Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2 [Ne] 3s2 3p2
Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell)2, 8, 18, 42, 8, 4
Melting Point1211.4 K1687 K
Boiling Point3093 K3173 K
CAS NumberCAS7440-56-4 CAS7440-21-3
Neighborhood ElementsNeighborhood Elements of GermaniumNeighborhood Elements of Silicon

History

NameGermaniumSilicon
HistoryThe element Germanium was discovered by C. A. Winkler in year 1886 in Germany. Germanium derived its name from Germania, the Latin name for Germany.The element Silicon was discovered by J. Berzelius in year 1823 in Sweden. Silicon derived its name from the Latin silex, 'flint' (originally silicium).
DiscoveryC. A. Winkler (1886)J. Berzelius (1823)
Isolated ()J. Berzelius (1823)

Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us

Parts per billion (ppb) by weight / by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)

NameGermaniumSilicon
Abundance in Universe200 / 3700000 / 30000
Abundance in Sun200 / 3900000 / 40000
Abundance in Meteorites21000 / 4900140000000 / 100000000
Abundance in Earth's Crust1400 / 390270000000 / 200000000
Abundance in Oceans0.06 / 0.00511000 / 220
Abundance in Humans- / -260000 / 58000

Crystal Structure and Atomic Structure

NameGermaniumSilicon
Atomic Volume13.646 cm3/mol12.054 cm3/mol
Atomic Radius125 pm111 pm
Covalent Radius122 pm111 pm
Van der Waals Radius211 pm210 pm
Atomic Spectrum - Spectral Lines
Emission SpectrumEmission Spectrum of Germanium | SchoolMyKidsEmission Spectrum of Silicon | SchoolMyKids
Absorption SpectrumAbsorption Spectrum of Germanium | SchoolMyKidsAbsorption Spectrum of Silicon | SchoolMyKids
Lattice Constant565.75, 565.75, 565.75 pm543.09, 543.09, 543.09 pm
Lattice Angleπ/2, π/2, π/2π/2, π/2, π/2
Space Group NameFm_ 3m Fd_ 3m
Space Group Number225 227
Crystal Structure

Face Centered Cubic

32 Ge Germanium - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

Tetrahedral Packing

14 Si Silicon - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

Atomic and Orbital Properties

NameGermaniumSilicon
Atomic Number3214
Number of Electrons (with no charge)3214
Number of Protons3214
Mass Number72.6428.0855
Number of Neutrons4114
Shell structure (Electrons per energy level)2, 8, 18, 42, 8, 4
Electron Configuration[Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2 [Ne] 3s2 3p2
Valence Electrons4s2 4p2 3s2 3p2
Oxidation State-4, 2, 4-4, 4
Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers)3P0 3P0
Shell structure32 Ge Germanium Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids14 Si Silicon Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids

Isotopes and Nuclear Properties

Germanium has 4 stable naturally occuring isotopes while Silicon has 3 stable naturally occuring isotopes.

NameGermaniumSilicon
Known Isotopes58Ge, 59Ge, 60Ge, 61Ge, 62Ge, 63Ge, 64Ge, 65Ge, 66Ge, 67Ge, 68Ge, 69Ge, 70Ge, 71Ge, 72Ge, 73Ge, 74Ge, 75Ge, 76Ge, 77Ge, 78Ge, 79Ge, 80Ge, 81Ge, 82Ge, 83Ge, 84Ge, 85Ge, 86Ge, 87Ge, 88Ge, 89Ge22Si, 23Si, 24Si, 25Si, 26Si, 27Si, 28Si, 29Si, 30Si, 31Si, 32Si, 33Si, 34Si, 35Si, 36Si, 37Si, 38Si, 39Si, 40Si, 41Si, 42Si, 43Si, 44Si
Stable IsotopesNaturally occurring stable isotopes:

70Ge, 72Ge, 73Ge, 74Ge

Naturally occurring stable isotopes:

28Si, 29Si, 30Si

Neutron Cross Section 2.2 171
Neutron Mass Absorption 0.0011 0.0002

Chemical Properties: Ionization Energies and electron affinity

NameGermaniumSilicon
Valence or Valency4 4
Electronegativity2.01 Pauling Scale1.9 Pauling Scale
Electron Affinity119 kJ/mol133.6 kJ/mol
Ionization Energies
1st: 762 kJ/mol
2nd: 1537.5 kJ/mol
3rd: 3302.1 kJ/mol
4th: 4411 kJ/mol
5th: 9020 kJ/mol
1st: 786.5 kJ/mol
2nd: 1577.1 kJ/mol
3rd: 3231.6 kJ/mol
4th: 4355.5 kJ/mol
5th: 16091 kJ/mol
6th: 19805 kJ/mol
7th: 23780 kJ/mol
8th: 29287 kJ/mol
9th: 33878 kJ/mol
10th: 38726 kJ/mol
11th: 45962 kJ/mol
12th: 50502 kJ/mol
13th: 235196 kJ/mol
14th: 257923 kJ/mol

Physical Properties

NameGermaniumSilicon
Density5.323 g/cm32.33 g/cm3
Molar Volume13.646 cm3/mol12.054 cm3/mol

Elastic Properties

Young Modulus- 47
Shear Modulus- -
Bulk Modulus- 100 GPa
Poisson Ratio- -

Hardness - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element

Mohs Hardness6 MPa6.5 MPa
Vickers Hardness- -
Brinell Hardness- -

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity2000 S/m1000 S/m
Resistivity 0.0005 m Ω0.001 m Ω
Superconducting Point- -

Heat and Conduction Properties

Thermal Conductivity60 W/(m K)150 W/(m K)
Thermal Expansion0.000006 /K0.0000026 /K

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic TypeDiamagnetic Diamagnetic
Curie Point- -
Mass Magnetic Susceptibility-1.5e-9 m3/kg-1.6e-9 m3/kg
Molar Magnetic Susceptibility-1.09e-10 m3/mol-4.49e-11 m3/mol
Volume Magnetic Susceptibility-0.00000798 -0.00000373

Optical Properties

Refractive Index- -

Acoustic Properties

Speed of Sound5400 m/s2200 m/s

Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics

NameGermaniumSilicon
Melting Point1211.4 K1687 K
Boiling Point3093 K3173 K
Critical Temperature- -
Superconducting Point- -

Enthalpies

Heat of Fusion31.8 kJ/mol50.2 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization334 kJ/mol359 kJ/mol
Heat of Combustion-536 J/(kg K)-9055 J/(kg K)

Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines

NameGermaniumSilicon
CAS NumberCAS7440-56-4 CAS7440-21-3
RTECS NumberRTECSLY5200000 RTECSVW0400000
DOT Hazard Class4.1 4.1
DOT Numbers3089 1346
EU Number- -
NFPA Fire Rating0 0
NFPA Health Rating1 1
NFPA Reactivity Rating0 0
NFPA Hazards- -
AutoIgnition Point- 150 °C
Flashpoint- -

Compare With Other Elements

Compare Germanium with all Group 14 elements

Compare Germanium with all Period 4 elements

Compare Germanium with all Metalloid elements

Compare Silicon with all Group 14 elements

Compare Silicon with all Period 3 elements

Compare Silicon with all Metalloid elements