PhosphorusThis is a featured page


My Nucleus
  • I have15 protons
  • I have16 neutrons
  • I have one stable isotope
  • atomic mass:30.9737620

Isotope, Mass, Half-life, Mode of decay, Nuclear spin, Nuclear magnetic moment
29P 28.981801 4.14 s EC to 29Si 1/2 1.2349
30P 29.978314 2.50 m EC to 30Si 1
32P 31.973615 14.28 d β- to 32S 1 -0.2524
33P 32.971725 25.3 d β- to 33S 1/2
My Electrons
Phosphorus - Chemistry with Mr. Olson
Kossel shell structure of P-a representation of my shell structure.
My Properties
  • My color is colourless/red/silvery white
  • My classification is a nonmetal, so I cannot have a conductivity.
  • My standard state: solid at 298 K
  • at room temperature, I ignite in air to form "phosphorus pentoxide" .
  • My boiling point is 280 º C
  • My melting point is 44.2 °C or 111.6 farenheit
  • My Relative Density : 1.8
  • My calculated atomic radius is 98 pm
  • White Phosphorus always glows in the dark because I am constantly reacting with the air around me. Phosphorus - Chemistry with Mr. Olson


My Home
(Body, Planet, Universe)
  • I am a key component in the human body in DNA and RNA, bones, teeth, nervous tissue, and cell protoplasm. My human abundance [/ppb by weight]: 11000000
  • Wanna know how much of me you have in your body?
  • My abundance on Earth's crust is 1000000 ppb by weight.
  • My abundance on the universe is 7000 ppb by weight.
  • A lot of me is found in Morroco, Russia, and USA


 I am Phosphorus!
Impure phosphine igniting spontaneously in air. The gas was generated by adding sodium phosphide on aluminium foil to water. The main impurity, diphosphane, causes spontaneous combustion.
My (binary) Compounds
(My Friends!)



My Story
I was discovered by Hennig Brand at Germany in 1669. My name, Phosphorus is from the Greek word "phosphoros" meaning "bringer of light". Brand prepared me from urine. In fall of 1803, Dalton came up with the law of multiple proportions. Dalton also came up with his own version of my symbol.Dalton's symbol for phosphorus
Phosphorus - Chemistry with Mr. Olson-This is my founder who discovered me! Phosphorus - Chemistry with Mr. Olson
My Jobs
  • I am used in the manufacture of safety matches, pyrotechnics, incendiary shells, smoke bombs, tracer bullets, etc.
  • I am a fertiliser
  • My phosphates are used to produce special glasses, like those used for sodium lamps
  • calcium phosphate, or bone-ash, is used to produce chinaware and to produce monocalcium phosphate used in baking powder
  • I am important in the production of steels, and phosphor bronze.
  • One of my compounds, Na3PO4 is important as a cleaning agent, as a water softener, and for preventing boiler scale and corrosion of pipes and boiler tubes
  • My job is also for use as a pesticide
I Can Be Dangerous

  • people working unprotected with white phosphorus leads to necrosis of the jaw ("phossy-jaw").
  • Phosphate esters are nerve poisoners and I should be only hadnled by a well-experienced chemist.
  • When I am elemental, I am very toxic, the white form more than the red form.

Phosphorus - Chemistry with Mr. Olson
picture of phosphorus
Red Phosphorus: I am in a different molecular form and am more stable and safer to be around.


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ArianaPatterson 		Latest page update: made by ArianaPatterson , Oct 22 2006, 12:05 AM EDT (about this update About This Update ArianaPatterson Edited by ArianaPatterson

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