Phosphorus

Domain	Definitions
Agriculture	An essential nutrient for plants and animals that is commonly applied to crops as a phosphate fertilizer. Phosphorus can contribute to the eutrophication of lakes and other water bodies. Sources of excess phosphorus include sewage and agricultural runoff. (references)
Chemistry	A solid non-metallic element. Source: European Union. (references)
Dream Interpretation	To dream of seeing phosphorus, is indicative of evanescent joys. For a young woman, it foretells a brilliant but brief success with admirers. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted ....
Environment	An essential chemical food element that can contribute to the eutrophication of lakes and other water bodies. Increased phosphorus levels result from discharge of phosphorus-containing materials into surface waters. (references)
Health	A non-metallic element that is found in the blood, muscles, nevers, bones, and teeth, and is a component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP; the primary energy source for the body's cells.). (references)
Mining	A nonmetallic element of the nitrogen group. Symbol, P. Never found free in nature, but is widely distributed in combination with minerals. An important source is phosphate rock, which contains the mineral apatite. Ignites spontaneously, and is very poisonous; must be kept under water. Used in safety matches, pyrotechnics, pesticides, incendiary shells, smoke bombs, tracer bullets, and fertilizers. Syn:amorphous phosphorus. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Phosphorus

Silicon - Phosphorus - Sulfur
N P As
	Full table

General

Name, Symbol, Number

Phosphorus, P, 15

Chemical series

Nonmetals

Group, Period, Block

15 (VA), 3 , p

Density, Hardness

1823 kg/m³, __

Appearance

colorless/red/silvery white

Atomic Properties

Atomic weight

30.973761 amu

Atomic radius (calc.)

100 (98) pm

Covalent radius

106 pm

van der Waals radius

180 pm

Electron configuration

[Ne]33s² 3p³

e^- 's per energy level

2, 8, 5

Oxidation states (Oxide)

±3, 5, 4 (mildly acidic)

Crystal structure

Monoclinic

Physical Properties

State of matter

Solid

Melting point

317.3 K (111.6 °F)

Boiling point

550 K (531 °F)

Molar volume

17.02 ×1010^-3 m³/mol

Heat of vaporization

12.129 kJ/mol

Heat of fusion

0.657 kJ/mol

Vapor pressure

20.8 Pa at 294 K

Speed of sound

no data

Miscellaneous

Electronegativity

2.19 (Pauling scale)

Specific heat capacity

769 J/(kg*K)

Electrical conductivity

1.0 10^-9/m ohm

Thermal conductivity

0.235 W/(m*K)

1^st ionization potential

1011.8 kJ/mol

2^nd ionization potential

1907 kJ/mol

3^rd ionization potential

2914.1 kJ/mol

4^th ionization potential

4963.6 kJ/mol

5^th ionization potential

6273.9 kJ/mol

Most Stable Isotopes

iso	NA	Longest t_½ is 25.34 d (P-32)
³¹P	100%	P is stable with 16 neutrons

SI units & STP are used except where noted.

Phosphorus is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent, nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate rocks and in all living cells but is never naturally found alone. It is highly reactive, gives-off a faint glow upon uniting with oxygen (hence its name), occurs in several forms and is an essential element for living organisms. The most important use of phosphorus is in the production of fertilizers. It is also widely used in explosivess, friction matches, fireworks, pesticides, toothpaste, detergents, and CRT based computer displays.

Notable Characteristics

Common phosphorus forms a waxy white solid that has a characteristic disagreeable smell but when it is pure it is colorless and transparent. This non metal is not soluble in water, but it is soluble in carbon disulfide. Pure phosphorus ignites spontaneously in air and burns to phosphorus pentoxide.

Forms

Phosphorus exists in four or more allotropic forms: white (or yellow), red, and black (or violet). The most common are red and white phosphorus, both of which are tetrahedral groups of four atoms. White phosphorus burns on contact with air and on exposure to heat or light it can transform into red phosphorus. It also exists in two modifications: alpha and beta which are separated by a transition temperature of -3.8 °C. Red phosphorus is comparatively stable and sublimes at a vapor pressure of 1 atm at 17 °C but burns from impact or frictional heating. A black phosphorus allotrope exists which has a structure similar to graphite - the atoms are arranged in hexagonal sheet layers and will conduct electricity.

Applications

Concentrated phosphoric acids, which can consist of 70% to 75% P₂O₅ are very important to agriculture and farm production in the form of fertilizers. Global demand for fertilizers has led to large increases in phosphate production in the second half of the 20th century. Other uses;

Phosphates are utilized in the making of special glasses that are used for sodium lamps.
Bone-ash, calcium phosphate, is used in the production of fine china and to make mono-calcium phosphate which is employed in baking powder.
This element is also an important component in steel production, in the making of phosphor bronze, and in many other related products.
Trisodium phosphate is widely used in cleaning agents to soften water and for preventing pipe/boiler tube corrosion.
White phosphorus is used in military incendiaries, smoke pots, smoke bombs and tracer bullets.
Miscellaneous uses; used in the making of safety matches, pyrotechnics, pesticides, toothpaste, detergentsetc.

Biological Role

Phosphorus compounds perform vital functions in all known forms of life. Inorganic phosphorus plays a key role in biological molecules such as DNA and RNA where it forms part of those molecules' molecular backbones. Living cells also utilize inorganic phosphorus to store and transport cellular energy via adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Calcium phosphate salts are used by animals to stiffen bones and phosphorus is also an important element in cell protoplasm and nervous tissue.

History

Phosphorus (Greek. phosphoros, meaning "light bearer" which was the ancient name for the planet Venus) was discovered by German alchemist Hennig Brand in 1669 through a preparation from urine. Working in Hamburg, Brand attempted to distill salts by evaporating urine, and in the process produced a white material that glowed in the dark and burned brilliantly. Since that time, phosphorescence has been used to describe substances that shine in the dark without burning.

Early matches used white phosphorus in their composition, which was dangerous due to its toxicity. Murders, suicides and accidental poisonings resulted from its use (An apocryphal tale tells of a woman attempting to murder her husband with white phosphorus in his food, which was detected by the stew giving off luminous steam). In addition, exposure to the vapors gave match workers a necrosis of the bones of the jaw, the infamous "phossy jaw." When red phosphorus was discovered, with its far lower flammability and toxicity, it was adopted as a safer alternative for match manufacture.

Occurrence

Due to its reactivity to air and many other oxygen containing substances, phosphorus is not found free in nature but it is widely distributed in many different minerals. Phosphate rock, which is partially made of apatite (an impure tri-calcium phosphate mineral) is an important commercial source of this element. Large deposits of apatite are in Russia, Morocco, Florida, Idaho, Tennessee, Utah, and elsewhere.

The white allotrope can be produced using several different methods. In one process, tri-calcium phosphate, which is derived from phosphate rock, is heated in an electric or fuel-fired furnace in the presence of carbon and silica..Elemental phosphorus is then liberated as a vapor and can be collected under phosphoric acid.

Precautions

This is a particularly poisonous element with 50 mg being the average fatal dose. The allotrope white phosphorus should be kept under water at all times due to its hyper reactivity to air and it should only be manipulated with forceps since contact with skin can cause severe burns. Chronic white phosphorus poisoning of unprotected workers leads to necrosis of the jaw called "phossy-jaw". Phosphate esters are nerve poisons but inorganic phosphates are relatively nontoxic. Phosphate pollution occurs where fertilizers or detergents have leached into soils.

When the white form is exposed to sunlight or when it is heated in its own vapor to 250 °C, it is transmuted to the red form, which does not phosphoresce in air. The red allotrope does not spontaneously ignite in air and is not as dangerous as the white form. Nevertheless, it should be handled with care because it does revert to white phosphorus in some temperature ranges and it also emits highly toxic fumes that consist of phosphorus oxides when it is heated.

Spelling

The only correct spelling of the element is phosphorus. There does exist a word phosphorous, but it is the adjectival form for the smaller valency: so, just as sulfur forms sulfurous and sulfuric compounds, so phosphorus forms phosphorous and phosphoric compounds.

External Links

Commercial Usage: Phosphorus

Domain	Title
References	United Phosphorus Limited: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference) The World Market for Nonalloyed Pig Iron in Primary Forms with Less Than 0.50% Phosphorus by Weight: A 2004 Global Trade Perspective (reference) (more reference examples)

Books	Agriculture and Phosphorus Management: The Chesapeake Bay (reference) Phosphorus Chemistry: Proceedings of the 1981 International Conference (reference) UNITED PHOSPHORUS LTD.: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis [DOWNLOAD: ADOBE READER] (reference) Ylides and Imines of Phosphorus (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Image Slideshow: Phosphorus

Photo Album: Phosphorus

Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	Figure 22. Chemical elements that are dissolved in sea water. Major elements are sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, silicon, carbon, sulfur, oxygen, chlorine, bromine, and iodine. Minor elements are titanium, nitrogen, phosphorus , arsenic, boron, rubidium, cesium, lithium, strontium, barium, zinc, copper, silver, gold, aluminum, lead, manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel.Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now.		It's not a nutty idea-pecans are good for you! They've not only got protein, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium; but even calcium! Okay, so they contain fat too, but 95 percent of it is unsaturated. P.Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Scott Bauer..
	Soil scientist Eton Codling notes excellent corn growth on manured soil treated with alum residue, which cuts ammonia emissions to the air and phosphorus losses in runoff water. P.Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Scott Bauer..		Biochemist Kevin Young (left) and David Ertl, a plant breeder with Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., analyze hybrid corn samples. High inorganic phosphorus in low-phytic-acid kernels turns the test solution dark blue, while normal kernels show light. P.Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Keith Weller..
	White phosphorus shells bursting during a bombardment by USS Manchester (CL-83) of enemy artillery emplacements on the Kalma Gak peninsula, near Wonsan, North Korea, circa 4 May 1951. Photograph was released by Commander, Naval Forces Far East, under date of 4 May 1951.Credit: NAVY.		Tennessee Valley Authority production. Elemental phosphorus. A large electric phosphate smelting furnace used in the making of elemental phosphorus in a TVA chemical plant in the Muscle Shoals area. The phosphorus, used in the manufacture of incendiary bo.Credit: Library of Congress.
	A large electric phosphate smelting furnace used in the making of elemental phosphorus in a TVA chemical plant in the Muscle Shoals area, Alabama.Credit: Library of Congress.		TVA chemical plant, where elemental phosphorus is made, vicinity of Muscle Shoals, Alabama.Credit: Library of Congress.
	Electric phosphate smelting furnace used to make elemental phosphorus in a TVA chemical plant in the vicinity of Muscle Shoals, Alabama.Credit: Library of Congress.		Large electric phosphate smelting furnace used in the making of elemental phosphorus in a TVA chemical plant in the Muscle Shoals area, Alabama.Credit: Library of Congress.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Historic Usage: Phosphorus

Non-Fiction Usage: Phosphorus

Subject	Topic	Quote
Health		Phosphorus is a mineral found in many foods. (references)
		But milk is high in phosphorus and potassium. (references)
		Healthy kidneys remove excess phosphorus from the blood. (references)
Business		This has created a relatively recent trend on the part of municipalities to look for biological technologies to remove phosphorus and nitrogen from sewage sludge, which results in these alga blooms. (references)
		It is generally recognized that next to none of the existing water treatment facilities in the area meet international requirements for allowed concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in purified water. (references)
Economic History	Uk	The U.S. holds over 20 per cent of the import market for screening and filtration, sludge dewatering, phosphorus and heavy metal removal, and anaerobic digestion systems. (references)
	Kazakhstan	Kazakhstan also contains large reserves of phosphorus ores. (references)
	Costa Rica	The demand in Costa Rica for agricultural chemicals (fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides) is traditionally high because the soil generally is low in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium and magnesium. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Usage Frequency: Phosphorus

Usage in Company Names: Phosphorus

Expressions: Phosphorus

Expressions using "phosphorus": amorphous phosphorus ♦ Bologna phosphorus ♦ ferro phosphorus ♦ metallic phosphorus ♦ Phosphorus Acids ♦ phosphorus bronze ♦ Phosphorus Compounds ♦ phosphorus disease ♦ phosphorus glass ♦ Phosphorus Isotopes ♦ phosphorus match ♦ Phosphorus Metabolism Disorders ♦ phosphorus necrosis ♦ phosphorus poisoning ♦ Phosphorus Radioisotopes ♦ phosphorus soaking ♦ phosphorus steel ♦ red phosphorus ♦ yellow phosphorus. Additional references.
Hyphenated Usage
	Beginning with "phosphorus": phosphorus-32, phosphorus-box, Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases, phosphorus-rich.
	Ending with "phosphorus": calcium-phosphorus, copper-tin-phosphorus, organo-phosphorus.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Phosphorus

Modern Translations: Phosphorus

Language		Translations for "phosphorus"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		fosfor (phosphorous). (various references)

Arabic		‏فوسفوري (phosphoric). (various references)

Bulgarian		фосфор (phosphor). (various references)

Chinese		磷 (water in rocks). (various references)

Czech		fosfor. (various references)

Danish		fosfor. (various references)

Dutch		fosfor (phosphorous). (various references)

Esperanto		fosforo. (various references)

Finnish		fosfori. (various references)

French		phosphore (phosphor). (various references)

German		Phosphor (phospherus, phosphor). (various references)

Greek		φώσφοροσ, φωσφόρος. (various references)

Hebrew		זרחן (phosphor). (various references)

Hungarian		foszfor (phosphor, phosphori). (various references)

Indonesian		fosfor (phosphor). (various references)

Irish		fosfar. (various references)

Italian		fosforo (phosphor). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		燐 . (various references)

Japanese Katakana		りん (cold, companion, counter for wheels and flowers, measure of length, old monetary unit). (various references)

Korean		인 (Phosphorous). (various references)

Papiamen		fòsfòr. (various references)

Pig Latin		osphorusphay

Portuguese		fósforo (match, phosphorate, photo, spunk). (various references)

Romanian		fosfor. (various references)

Russian		фосфор (phosphor, phosphorous). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		fosfor (phosphor). (various references)

Spanish		fósforo (match, matchstick, phosphor). (various references)

Swedish		fosfor (phosphor). (various references)

Turkish		fosforlu madde, fosfor (phosphor). (various references)

Ukranian		ранкова зоря (dawn, day star, morning, phosphor, sunrise, sun-up), фосфор (phosphor). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Derivations & Misspellings: Phosphorus

Rhyming with "Phosphorus"

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "phosphorus" (pronounced fÄ"sferus)
7	f Ä" s f er u s	phosphorous.
4	-f er u s	carboniferous, coniferous, fossiliferous, vociferous.
3	-er u s	adulterous, adventurous, amorous, avarice, barbarous, boisterous, cancerous, cantankerous, carnivorous, dangerous, decorous, generous, glamorous, herbivorous, heterosporous, homosporous, humerus, humorous, insectivorous, lecherous, murderous, numerous, odorous, omnivorous, onerous, overgenerous, oviparous, ovoviviparous, ponderous, precancerous, preposterous, prosperous, rancorous, rapturous, rhinoceros, rigorous, slanderous, sonorous, tetramerous, thunderous, timorous, traitorous, treacherous, unglamorous, uterus, vigorous, viviparous.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Anagrams: Phosphorus

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "h-h-o-o-p-p-r-s-s-u"
	-1 letter: phosphors.
	-2 letters: phosphor.
	-3 letters: soursop.
	-4 letters: porous, prosos, sopors, spoors.
	-5 letters: hoops, hours, ouphs, poohs, poops, pours, props, proso, pross, roups, shoos, shops, shush, sophs, sopor, sorus, soups, sours, spoor, spurs.
	Words containing the letters "h-h-o-o-p-p-r-s-s-u"
	+1 letter: phosphorous.
	+2 letters: phosphoruses.
	+5 letters: neurohypophyses, neurohypophysis.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

Author	Date	Quotation
Treaty of Versailles	1919	Convention of September 26, 1906, for the suppression of the use of white phosphorus in the manufacture of matches. (reference)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (singular)	98.8%	165	24,305
Noun (proper)	1.2%	2	245,945
Total	100.00%	167	N/A

Country	Name
India	United Phosphorus Limited
	(more examples...)

Expression	Frequency per Day	Expression	Frequency per Day
phosphorus	185	lake phosphorus	4
red phosphorus	131	phosphorus use	4
cycle phosphorus	39	buying phosphorus red	4
white phosphorus	9	food low phosphorus	3
phosphorus removal	8	phosphorus deficiency	3
phosphorus food	6	serum phosphorus	3
calcium phosphorus	6	phosphorus fertilizer	3
phosphorus acid	6	phosphorus problem	3
united phosphorus	6	phosphorus information	3
food high in phosphorus	6	food high phosphorus	3
mine phosphorus red	5	history phosphorus	3
phosphorus red use	5	characterization phosphorus	3
phosphorus 32	5	phosphorus picture	3
phosphorus pentachloride	5	oxide phosphorus	3
diet low phosphorus	5	phosphorus trichloride	3
arkansas index phosphorus	4	bacterium inoculate phosphorus solubility	3
phosphorus element	4	calcium phosphorus ratio	3
phosphorus wollastonite	4	phosphorus pentoxide	3
low phosphorus	4	phosphorus supplement	2
making phosphorus red	4	cleaning phosphorus red	2
		homeopathic phosphorus	2
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations
	Words beginning with "phosphorus": phosphoruses. (additional references)
	Words ending with "phosphorus": organophosphorus. (additional references)
	Words containing "phosphorus": organophosphoruses. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Phosphorus" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: fosforos, fosforus, phorphorus, phosforus, phospherus, phosphore, phosphorite, phosphour, phosphrous, phsphorus, Poshpura. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

Phosphorus

Definitions: Phosphorus

Phosphorus

Noun

Specialty Definitions: Phosphorus

Specialty Definition: Phosphorus

Notable Characteristics

Forms

Applications

Biological Role

History

Synonyms: Phosphorus

Crosswords: Phosphorus

Commercial Usage: Phosphorus

References

Books

Image Slideshow: Phosphorus

Computer Images:Phosphorus

Photo Album: Phosphorus

Historic Usage: Phosphorus

Treaty of Versailles

Non-Fiction Usage: Phosphorus

Usage Frequency: Phosphorus

Usage in Company Names: Phosphorus

United Phosphorus Limited

Expressions: Phosphorus

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Phosphorus

homeopathic phosphorus

Modern Translations: Phosphorus

Albanian

Arabic

Bulgarian

Chinese

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Finnish

French

German

Greek

Hebrew

Hungarian

Indonesian

Irish

Italian

Japanese Kanji

Japanese Katakana

Korean

Papiamen

Pig Latin

Portuguese

Romanian

Russian

Serbo-Croatian

Spanish

Swedish

Turkish

Ukranian

Derivations & Misspellings: Phosphorus

Derivations

Misspellings

Rhyming with "Phosphorus"

Anagrams: Phosphorus

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Alternative Orthography: Phosphorus

50 68 6F 73 70 68 6F 72 75 73

.--. .... --- ... .--. .... --- .-. ..- ...

Bibliographic Items: "phosphorus"

Public Service or Web Sites Triggered by: Phosphorus

Computer Images:
Phosphorus