Arsenic is a useful chemical. Though it is poisonous, there are many good commercial uses for it. It's not well known, like oxygen, or worth a lot, like gold. Its name comes from Arsenikon (Greek) and Arsenium (Latin), each meaning "yellow pigment". Surprisingly, Arsenic does not melt. When heated, it goes from a solid straight to a gas, skipping the apparently unnecessary liquid stage.

Its group, “Metalloids”, are elements in the small gap between metal and non-metal because they share some characteristics with both Metals and Non-Metals. Some of the Metalloids can conduct electricity under certain conditions, as semi-conductors, like Germanium, Silicon, and Arsenic. As it turns out, Aluminum, is not in the group of Metalloids. It is under the group “Other Metals“.

Ancients, such as the Greeks and Romans, used to use slave labor to extract it from mines, as it is easily extracted from its ores. Early Medieval Greek Alchemists and Chinese scholars knew how to prepare and apply compounds of arsenic, however, the person who discovered how or what to make is unknown. The first person known to identify it was Albert Magnus, who extracted it from a mixture of Orpiment and soap. By the Mid-17th century, it was recorded in textbooks.

Arsenic has many uses in commercial market. Because it is a poison, it is used as a rat poison and a weed killer. It is used for semiconductors, and in transistors when mixed with germanium and silicon. Compounds of arsenic, some called arsenides, are used for LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) displays (gallium arsenide), Military poison and gas (Arsenide AsH3), and a compound that killed spirochete bacteria (Arsephenamine), later replaced by penicillin. Arsenic Disulfide (AsS), or Ruby Arsenic from its red-orange color, is a powder used in rat poison and a color for red glass, fireworks, and paint. There is also an Arsenic Trichloride (Arsenic Chloride AsCl3) which is an Insecticide, and is used in ceramics.

Arsenic does have isotopes as well. All of the isotopes are between 67-86 (75As is normal Arsenic) in atomic weights. None of them have any commercial because they are unstable. The longest half-life of an isotope of Arsenic is 80.3 days (73As) , while the shortest Half-life is 900 milliseconds (86As)!

Some other interesting facts include the fact that the United States does not produce Arsenic, but China, Chile, Mexico, Belgium, Namibia, and the Philippines do. Arsenic is a byproduct of mining and purifying silver. Arsenic was said to be a “poison of choice” because it killed slowly, leaving traces of other, more common, illnesses.

One of the more interesting details is that the 12th president of the United States, Zachary Taylor, died 16 months into is term. He became ill after having buttermilk and cherries, but many scholars believed he was poisoned by arsenic. On June 17th, his body was exhumed from the grave. Hair and fingernails were tested for arsenic. A Kentucky medical examiner stated that the amount of arsenic was several hundred times less than what would be expected if he was poisoned (all humans contain small traces of Arsenic). Some scholars haven't rejected the possibility of poisoning, but they now know that it was not Arsenic.

In conclusion, Arsenic is very useful. It can help in many categories of life. From the lights in digital devices, to rat poisons and fireworks, this element can help lots of problems with pests, improve life to a better technology level, help give things color, and make things like ceramics for recreation.

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