Antimony
From Conservapedia
| Antimony | |
|---|---|
| Name | Antimony |
| Symbol | Sb |
| Atomic number | 51 |
| Atomic mass | 121.760 amu |
| Classification | Pnictogen |
| Crystal structure | Rhombohedral |
| Density | 6.68 g/cm^3 |
| Color | Bluish white or grey |
| Number of Stable Isotopes | 2 |
| 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.
