There has long been speculation that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart may have been poisoned by a rival. There is some evidence that he may have been poisoned by an antimony compound. This compound would have been prescribed by his doctor, however, suggesting that there was no foul play. What is the electron configuration of antimony?

The atomic number is fundamental in understanding the nature of atoms and the periodic table. For any given element, the atomic number indicates the number of protons in the nucleus and, in a neutral atom, also the number of electrons that surround the nucleus. For instance, antimony has an atomic number of 51, which signifies that an atom of antimony consists of 51 protons and, when it is not ionized, 51 electrons. This number is crucial as it not only identifies the element but also helps in determining the element's position on the periodic table and its chemical properties.

Knowing the atomic number, one can predict how an element will react chemically. As electrons are arranged in various shells around an atom's nucleus, their pattern of arrangement, known as the electron configuration, influences how an element interacts with others. As students develop a deeper understanding of atomic number, they gain a better grasp of why elements behave the way they do in chemical reactions.

The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of all known elements organized by their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties. Elements are ordered in rows called periods and columns known as groups with elements possessing similar behaviors in the same group. The arrangement in the periodic table reveals an element's characteristics and its relationships with other elements.

Antimony, with an atomic number of 51, is found in group 15 and period 5 of the periodic table, positioned among the metalloids, which are elements with properties intermediate between metals and non-metals. Through its placement in the periodic table, we learn antimony's electron configuration steps naturally. Thus, the importance of the periodic table extends beyond mere classification; it is a powerful tool for predicting a wide array of chemical properties and the behaviors of elements without needing to conduct a chemical analysis.

Noble gas notation is a simplified way of representing an element's electron configuration. As writing out the full electron configuration can be lengthy, this shortcut method uses the nearest noble gas that precedes the element in the periodic table as a reference point. Noble gases are elements like helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon, known for their full outer electron shells and minimal chemical reactivity.

To write the electron configuration in noble gas notation, find the noble gas located in the period above the element of interest. For antimony, krypton (Kr) is the noble gas found right before it. The noble gas notation for antimony begins with the symbol for krypton ([Kr]), followed by the remaining electron configuration starting from the energy level after krypton's. This results in the notation [Kr]4d^105s^25p^3, showing the configuration of electrons starting after those accounted for by krypton, facilitating a more streamlined understanding and communication of the electron configuration for elements like antimony.