Download Physical Properties

Element Name: Arsenic
Atomic Number: 33
Picture of Arsenic (as an element)
Element Symbol: As
Atomic weight: 74.9216 amu
Arsenic (as a poison)
Physical Properties:
State of matter at room temperature solid
Melting point temperature 817.0 °C
Boiling point temperature 613.0 °C
Density 5.72 g/cm3
Color gray or yellow
Texture Arsenic has a rough surface
Hardness brittle
Conductivity is measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC. The thermal
conductivity of arsenic is 50 W m-1 K-1
Flammability The flammability of each organic arsenic compound may vary. Arsenic dust is a slight
explosive hazard when exposed to flame.
Photosensitivity It is not sensitive to photos.
Toxicity Arsenic is toxic; it is poison
Who discovered the element? Although this is not proven, credit for the discovery was given to
Albertos Magnus, a German alchemist.
Where was it discovered? It is said that early Chinese, Greek and Egyptian civilizations mined Arsenic.
What are the uses of the element? They have been used to make rat poison and some insecticides.
Small amounts of arsenic are added to germanium to make transistors. Gallium arsenide can produce
laser light directly from electricity.
When was it discovered? Even though it was mined by those early civilizations it is given credit that
Abertos Magnas discovered it in 1250.
What are a few of the common uses or the historical uses of this element?
• Despite its reputation as a deadly poison, arsenic is like any toxic substance: its effects depend
on how much and how long people are exposed to it.
• poison
List the way(s) in which the element appears naturally. How is it mined or extracted from the
ground?
Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance. It occurs in several forms, often in compounds with other
chemical elements. Arsenic and all of its compounds are poisonous but the toxicity varies.
What are the main compounds formed by this element and the industrial uses of these compounds?
Compounds were found in some low rank coals from Slovenia and the Czech Republic. Most likely
biogeochemical degradation of organic material is responsible for these unexpected organ arsenic
compounds.
Arsenic compounds are used to preserve wood, as pesticides, and in some industries.
What are the main environmental concerns about this element? Are its compounds causing
pollution?
Exposure to arsenic can cause many health problems. Being exposed to low levels for a long time can
change the color of your skin. It can cause corns and small warts. Exposure to high levels of arsenic
can cause death.
1.
You may have noticed that arsenic's boiling point is lower than its melting point. This occurs
because these two temperatures are measured at different atmospheric pressures.
2. When present in high concentrations, arsenic can kill you instantly
3. When arsenic is present in very small amounts (soils or water supply), it can kill and poison
you over many years.
4. This is a picture from a person who drank water with Arsenic in it. (This is what happened
his/her hands)
5. Arsenic tarnishes in air, and when heated rapidly it gets a garlic odor.
Names: Susan Occhipinti and Sara Foley-McGinty
class period: 1