Why is the symbol for arsenic As?

[Johanna]

@Little_Nemo

So my guess that it involved the way British chemists pronounced arsenic seems to be wrong.

Just like my guess involving Arabic morphemes was wrong!

[BwanaBob]

@Mangetout

It is now, but Berzelius initially (or at some point) assigned St

But according to his own rule:

Stannum
Stibium

Both start with St so neither should ever be able to use St

Move onto first different consonant and you get the proper Sn and Sb.

[DSYoungEsq]

@BwanaBob

But according to his own rule:

Stannum
Stibium

Both start with St so neither should ever be able to use St

Move onto first different consonant and you get the proper Sn and Sb.

See post #13. :smack: