Arsenic
☠️ In Your World
Arsenic is infamous as a classic poison in history and fiction. While its toxicity is its most famous trait, it has important modern uses. It's a key component in the semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs), used in high-speed electronics. It is also used in alloys with lead to make them harder (e.g., in car batteries) and as a wood preservative.
📖 The Discovery Story
Arsenic compounds have been known since ancient times. However, the German scholar Albertus Magnus is believed to have been the first to isolate the free element in 1250 by heating soap with an arsenic compound. The name "arsenic" comes from the Greek word arsenikon, which was the name for the yellow mineral orpiment (As₂S₃).
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Melting Point | 817 °C / 1503 °F (sublimes) |
| Boiling Point | 614 °C / 1137 °F (sublimes) |
| Electron Configuration | [Ar] 3d¹⁰4s²4p³ |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 0.00018% |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Arsenic and most of its compounds are extremely toxic and carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Chronic exposure to arsenic, even at low levels (e.g., in contaminated drinking water), can cause severe health problems. It must be handled with extreme caution and appropriate safety equipment.