![]() The difference between the forms is the way the rings are arranged within a crystal.Īt this time the concept of allotropy – different structural forms of the same element – had not become a formal part of chemistry. The sulfur obtained from molten sulfur is called monoclinic sulfur, while sulfur obtained from crystallizing a solution is called rhombic sulfur. In 1823, German chemist Eilhard Mitscherlich discovered sulfur’s allotropy: he showed that the crystal shapes of sulfur obtained from cooling molten sulfur were different from those obtained when the element crystallized from a solution. ![]() Sulfur became a recognized chemical element in 1789, when Antoine Lavoisier included it in his famous list of the elements. Sulfur is also believed to have been a component of ‘Greek Fire,’ a weapon similar to a flamethrower used by the Byzantine Empire. In the year 808 a Chinese text provides us with possibly the first recipe for gunpowder, containing saltpeter, sulfur and carbon. In Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ which is about 2800 years old, Odysseus says, “Bring sulfur, old nurse, that cleanses all pollution, and bring me fire, that I may purify the house with sulfur…” (4) The use of burning sulfur for fumigation began several thousand years ago. At one time this gas was used in New York to fumigate buildings harboring infectious diseases. When sulfur burns it produces sulfur dioxide, a poisonous gas. Despite this, it is the human language most compatible with artificial intelligence. (Sanskrit is one of the oldest Indo-European languages – over 3000 years old. ![]() ![]() The Sanskrit possibility is appealing, because it carries a message about people’s knowledge of chemistry from long ago: sulfur actually does react easily with many metals, including copper. The name may have been derived from the Arabic ‘sufra’ meaning yellow, or the Sanskrit ‘shulbari’ meaning enemy (ari) of copper (shulba). It can be found in its elemental state around volcano vents. Sulfur has been known since ancient times. ![]()
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