Silicon dioxide, a hard white or colorless compound occurring as quartz, sand, flint, and many other minerals. A fundamental component of glass and ceramics.
From Latin 'silex, silicis' meaning 'flint' or 'hard stone.' The term was coined in the early 19th century as chemistry began systematically naming compounds. Silicon itself was named for its similarity to carbon.
Silica is literally everywhere - it makes up about 12% of the Earth's crust and is the main component of sand, yet most people don't realize they're surrounded by this single compound. From the glass in windows to the quartz in watches, silica silently shapes our technological world.
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