Phosphorus | Definition, Uses, & Facts (2024)

chemical element

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Also known as: P

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phosphorus

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Key People:
Johan Gottlieb Gahn
Hennig Brand
Johann Kunckel von Löwenstjern
Related Topics:
human nutrition
white phosphorus
black phosphorus
phosphorus-32
red phosphorus

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phosphorus (P), nonmetallic chemical element of the nitrogen family (Group 15 [Va] of the periodic table) that at room temperature is a colourless, semitransparent, soft, waxy solid that glows in the dark.

Element Properties
atomic number15
atomic weight30.9738
melting point (white)44.1 °C (111.4 °F)
boiling point (white)280 °C (536 °F)
density (white)1.82 gram/cm3 at 20 °C (68 °F)
oxidation states−3, +3, +5
electron configuration1s22s22p63s23p3

History

Arabian alchemists of the 12th century may have isolated elemental phosphorus by accident, but the records are unclear. Phosphorus appears to have been discovered in 1669 by Hennig Brand, a German merchant whose hobby was alchemy. Brand allowed 50 buckets of urine to stand until they putrified and “bred worms.” He then boiled the urine down to a paste and heated it with sand, thereby distilling elemental phosphorus from the mixture. Brand reported his discovery in a letter to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and, thereafter, demonstrations of this element and its ability to glow in the dark, or “phosphoresce,” excited public interest. Phosphorus, however, remained a chemical curiosity until about a century later when it proved to be a component of bones. Digestion of bones with nitric or sulfuric acid formed phosphoric acid, from which phosphorus could be distilled by heating with charcoal. In the late 1800s James Burgess Readman of Edinburgh developed an electric furnace method for producing the element from phosphate rock, which is essentially the method employed today.

Occurrence and distribution

Phosphorus is a very widely distributed element—12th most abundant in crustEarth’s , to which it contributes about 0.10 weight percent. Its cosmic abundance is about one atom per 100 atoms of silicon, the standard. Its high chemical reactivity assures that it does not occur in the free state (except in a few meteorites). Phosphorus always occurs as the phosphate ion. The principal combined forms in nature are the phosphate salts. About 550 different minerals have been found to contain phosphorus, but, of these, the principal source of phosphorus is the apatite series in which calcium ions exist along with phosphate ions and variable amounts of fluoride, chloride, or hydroxide ions, according to the formula [Ca10(PO4)6(F, Cl, or OH)2]. Other important phosphorus-bearing minerals are wavellite and vivianite. Commonly, such metal atoms as magnesium, manganese, strontium, and lead substitute for calcium in the mineral, and silicate, sulfate, vanadate, and similar anions substitute for phosphate ions. Very large sedimentary deposits of fluoroapatite are found in many parts of Earth. The phosphate of bone and tooth enamel is hydroxyapatite. (The principle of lessening tooth decay by fluoridation depends upon the conversion of hydroxyapatite to the harder, more decay-resistant, fluoroapatite.)

Britannica QuizFacts You Should Know: The Periodic Table Quiz

The chief commercial source is phosphorite, or phosphate rock, an impure massive form of carbonate-bearing apatite. Estimates of the total phosphate rock in Earth’s crust average about 65,000,000,000 tons, of which Morocco and Western Sahara contain about 80 percent. This estimate includes only ore that is sufficiently rich in phosphate for conversion to useful products by present methods. Vast quantities of material lower in phosphorus content also exist.

The only naturally occurring isotope of phosphorus is that of mass 31. The other isotopes from mass 24 to mass 46 have been synthesized by appropriate nuclear reactions. All of these are radioactive with relatively short half-lives. The isotope of mass 32 has a half-life of 14.268 days and has proven extremely useful in tracer studies involving the absorption and movement of phosphorus in living organisms.

Commercial production and uses

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The principal technique for converting phosphate rock to usable materials involves acidulation of the crushed rock—with either sulfuric or phosphoric acids—to form crude calcium hydrogen phosphates that, being water-soluble, are valuable additions to fertilizer. Most of the output is burned to phosphoric anhydride and subsequently treated with water to form phosphoric acid, H3PO4. About 95 percent of the phosphate rock mined in the United States is used to make fertilizer or food supplements for animals. Concerns have arisen about phosphorus use, however. Most of the phosphorus is wasted on its journey from mining to being eaten by humans, and the wasted phosphorus ends up in waterways where it can cause algal blooms. Another concern is that increased phosphorus usage will deplete the nonrenewable supply of phosphate rock.

Only about 5 percent of the phosphorus consumed per year in the United States is used in the elemental form. Pyrotechnic applications of the element include tracers, incendiaries, fireworks, and matches. Some is used as an alloying agent, some is used to kill rodents, and the rest is employed in chemical synthesis. A large amount is converted to sulfides used in matches and in the manufacture of insecticides and oil additives. Most of the remainder is converted to halides or oxides for subsequent use in synthesizing organic phosphorus compounds.

Phosphorus | Definition, Uses, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

What are 5 facts about phosphorus? ›

phosphorus
atomic number15
boiling point (white)280 °C (536 °F)
density (white)1.82 gram/cm3 at 20 °C (68 °F)
oxidation states−3, +3, +5
electron configuration1s22s22p63s23p3
2 more rows
Jul 25, 2024

What are 5 important uses of phosphorus? ›

It is used to make fertilisers, animal feeds, rust removers, corrosion preventers, and even dishwasher tablets. Some phosphate rock is also heated with coke and sand in an electric furnace to form white phosphorus which is then converted to phosphorus trichloride and phosphorous acid.

What are 3 things phosphorus is used for? ›

The main function of phosphorus is in the formation of bones and teeth. Phosphorus can also be found in a variety of products such as baking powder, fertilisers, and fireworks. It also plays an important role in the production of steel. Phosphates are also used in the production of fine chinaware and special glasses.

What is phosphorus daily life? ›

Phosphorus is a mineral contained in each cell in our body. Most phosphorus is in the bones and teeth, and some is in your genes. Your body needs phosphorus to make energy and to carry out many important chemical processes.

Why is phosphorus bad? ›

Why is too much phosphorus a bad thing? Excess phosphorus, like the other key nutrient, nitrogen, depletes soils of their richness. It also pollutes lakes, rivers and the ocean in a process known as eutrophication.

What does phosphorus do to the body? ›

It plays an important role in how the body uses carbohydrates and fats. It is also needed for the body to make protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues. Phosphorus also helps the body make ATP, a molecule the body uses to store energy. Phosphorus works with the B vitamins.

How much phosphorus do I need a day? ›

It is recommended that healthy adults get between 800 mg and 1,200 mg of phosphorus each day. A balanced, nutritious diet provides plenty of phosphorus, because it's found naturally in so many foods.

How important is phosphorus to life? ›

Phosphorus, like nitrogen, is a critical nutrient required for all life. The most common form of phosphorus used by biological organisms is phosphate (PO4), which plays major roles in the formation of DNA, cellular energy, and cell membranes (and plant cell walls).

What are the symptoms of too much phosphorus? ›

What are the symptoms of high phosphorus?
  • Muscle cramps.
  • Bone and joint pain.
  • Weak bones.
  • Itchy skin or rash.
  • Brittle nails.
  • Dry skin.
  • Coarser hair than normal.
  • Irritability.
Mar 6, 2024

Why is red phosphorus illegal? ›

Phosphorus triiodide can also be used to produce hydroiodic acid after hydrolysis. This reaction is notable in the illicit production of methamphetamine and Krokodil, where hydrogen iodide acts as a reducing agent.

What do farmers use phosphorus for? ›

Thus, phosphorus is essential for the general health and vigor of all plants. Some specific growth factors associated with phosphorus are: Stimulated root development. Increased stalk and stem strength.

What are 5 phosphorus functions? ›

Many proteins and sugars in the body are phosphorylated. In addition, phosphorus plays key roles in regulation of gene transcription, activation of enzymes, maintenance of normal pH in extracellular fluid, and intracellular energy storage. In humans, phosphorus makes up about 1% to 1.4% of fat-free mass.

What are 3 benefits of phosphorus? ›

The main function of phosphorus is in the formation of bones and teeth. It plays an important role in how the body uses carbohydrates and fats. It is also needed for the body to make protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues.

Why does phosphorus have 5? ›

The outer d orbitals in phosphorus permit an expansion of the octet, which leads to the +5 state, with five actual covalent bonds being formed in compounds, a condition impossible for nitrogen to achieve.

What are 3 key facts about the phosphorus cycle? ›

The phosphorus cycle
  • Over time, rain and weathering cause rocks to release phosphate ions and other minerals. ...
  • Plants take up inorganic phosphate from the soil. ...
  • Within the soil, organic forms of phosphate can be made available to plants by bacteria that break down organic matter to inorganic forms of phosphorus.
Jul 30, 2013

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