Antimony | |
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Properties | |
Atomic symbol | Sb |
Atomic number | 51 |
Classification | Pnictogen |
Atomic mass | 121.760 amu |
Number of Stable Isotopes | 2 |
Density (grams per cc) | 6.68 g/cm3 |
Other Information | |
Date of discovery | Known since ancient times. |
Name of discoverer | Unknown |
Name origin | Greek anti and monos, "not alone". |
Uses | Various. |
Obtained from | Stibnite, ullmanite, and valentinite. |
Antimony (Sb) is a toxic, flaky, brittle element with the symbol Sb (Latin: stibium, meaning "mark") and atomic number 51. It does not react with air, but burns brightly when ignited. Since it is not a metal, antimony is a poor conductor of both heat and electricity. The stable form of antimony is a blue-white metalloid. Yellow and black antimony are unstable non-metals. Antimony is used in flame-proofing, paints, batteries, ceramics, enamels, as a hardener for lead and other metals, and in a wide variety of alloys, electronics, and rubber. The ancient Egyptians used black stibnite as eye make-up.
Antimony is a member of the "pnictogen" (group 15) of the periodic table. This is the area that has a metal near the bottom (bismuth) and some nonmetals near the top (nitrogen). Antimony in between—It is one of the few elements which is neither a metal or a non-metal.
Antimony was known as an element at least as far back as the alchemists. It was first scientifically studied in 1707 by Nicolas Lemery.
Periodic Table of the Elements | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||||||
51
Sb 121.75 |
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*Lanthanides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
**Actinides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Categories: [Elements] [Metals]