- Last update
- Save as PDF
- ID of the page
- 566
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!- \!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{ span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart }{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\ norma}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm {span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\ mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{ \ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argumento}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{s pan}}\)\( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
learning goals
- Compare the properties of the group 15 elements.
- Explain the main uses of phosphate.
- Describe the ionization equilibria of phosphoric acid.
Phosphorus (P) is an essential part of life as we know it. We would not live without phosphates in biological molecules such as ATP, ADP and DNA. Phosphorus compounds are also found in the minerals of our bones and teeth. It is a necessary part of our diet. In fact, we consume it in almost every food we eat. Phosphorus is quite reactive. This property of the element makes it an ideal ingredient for matches as it is very flammable. Phosphorus is a vital element for plants, which is why we include phosphates in our fertilizer to help your plants maximize their growth.
introduction 
Phosphorus plays a huge role in our lives, but it can also be dangerous. If fertilizers containing phosphorus get into the water, rapid algae growth occurs. This can lead to eutrophication of lakes and rivers; That is, the ecosystem has an increase in chemical nutrients and this can lead to negative environmental impacts. With all that excess phosphorus, plants grow rapidly and then die, resulting in a lack of phosphorusoxygenin the water and a general reduction in water quality. Therefore, it is necessary to remove excess phosphorus from our wastewater. The phosphorus removal process is carried out chemically by reacting phosphorus with compounds such as ferric chloride, ferrous sulfate and aluminum sulfate or aluminum hydrochloride. When combined with aluminum or iron, phosphorus becomes an insoluble salt. OSolubility Equilibrium Constantsof \(FePO_4\) and \(AlPO_4\) are 1.3x10-22e 5,8x10-19, or With such low solubility, the resulting precipitates can be filtered.
Another example of the dangers of phosphorus is in the manufacture of matches. The flammability and cheap production of white phosphorus made it easy to make matches around the turn of the 20th century. However, white phosphorus is highly toxic. Many match factory workers have developed brain damage and a condition called phosphorus necrosis of the jaw from exposure to toxic phosphorus fumes. The excessive accumulation of phosphorus led to the death and rotting of bone tissue. For this reason we now use red phosphorus or phosphorus sesquisulfide in "safety" matches.
Discovery of Phosphorus
Named for the Greek word phosphoros ("light bringer"), elemental phosphorus does not exist in its elemental form because that form is so reactive. Because of this factor, it took a long time to be "discovered". The first documented isolation of phosphorus was performed by the alchemist Hennig Brand in 1669 using about 60 buckets of urine. After allowing a large amount of urine to fester for a long time, Brand distilled the liquid into a paste, heated the paste, discarded the salt formed, and put the remaining substance in cold water to form solid white phosphorus. Brand's process wasn't very efficient; the salt he threw away actually contained most of the phosphorus. For his efforts, however, he received some pure elemental phosphorus. Others at the time improved the efficiency of the process by adding sand but still discarding the salt. Later, phosphorus was made from bone ash. Currently, the phosphorus manufacturing process does not involve large amounts of putrid urine or bone ash. Instead, manufacturers use calcium phosphate and coke (Emsley).
Phosphor-Allotrope
Phosphorus is a nonmetal, solid at room temperature, and a poor conductor of heat and electricity. Phosphorus occurs in at least 10 allotropes, the most common (and most reactive) of which is so-called white (or yellow) phosphorus, which appears as a waxy or plastic solid. It is very reactive and spontaneously ignites in air, which is why it is stored under water. The other common form of phosphorus is red phosphorus, which is much less reactive and is one of the ingredients in the striking face of a matchbox. Red phosphorus can be converted to white phosphorus by careful heating.
White phosphorus consists of molecules \(\ce{P4}\), while the crystalline structure of red phosphorus shows a complicated network of bonds. White phosphorus must be stored in water to prevent natural combustion, but red phosphorus is stable in air.
Red phosphorus also forms the same oxides when burning as when burning white phosphorus, \(\ce{P4O6}\) with a restricted air supply and \(\ce{P4O10}\) with a sufficient air supply.
Diphosphor (P2)
Diphosphorus (\(P_2\)) is the gaseous form of phosphorus, thermodynamically stable above 1200 °C and up to 2000 °C. It can be generated by heating white phosphorus (see below) to 1100 K and is very reactive with abond dissociation energy(117 kcal/mol or 490 kJ/mol) half of dinitrogen (\(N_2\)).
White phosphorus (P4)
white phosphorus (P4) has a tetrahedral structure. It is soft and waxy but insoluble in water. Their glow comes from their vapors being slowly oxidized by the air. It is so thermodynamically unstable that it burns in air. It was once used in firecrackers and the US military still uses it in incendiary bombs.
BeYoutube-VideoLink shows several experiments with white phosphorus that help show its physical and chemical properties. It also shows white phosphorus burning with air.
Red Phosphorus and Violet Phosphorus (Polymer)
Red phosphorus has more atoms connected in a network than white phosphorus, making it much more stable. It's not as flammable, but still reacts with air with enough energy. For this reason we now use red phosphorus in matches.
Violet phosphorus is obtained by heating and crystallizing red phosphorus in a specific way. Phosphorus forms pentagonal "tubes".
Black phosphorus (polymer)
Black phosphorus is the most stable form; the atoms are bound together in crumpled sheets, likegraphite. Because of these structural similarities, black phosphorus is also flaky like graphite and shares other similar properties.
Phosphorisotope
There are many phosphorus isotopes, only one of which is stable (31p). The rest of the isotopes are radioactive with generally very short half-lives, ranging from a few nanoseconds to a few seconds. Two of the radioactive phosphorus isotopes have longer half-lives.32P has a half-life of 14 days and33P has a half-life of 25 days. These half-lives are long enough to be useful for analysis, and for this reason isotopes can be used to label DNA.
32P played an important role in the 1952 Hershey-Chase experiment. In this experiment, Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase used radioactive isotopes of phosphorus andsulfurdetermine that DNA is genetic material and not proteins. Sulfur can be found in proteins but not in DNA, and phosphorus can be found in DNA but not in proteins. This made phosphorus and sulfur effective DNA and protein markers, respectively. The experiment was set up as follows: Hershey and Chase grew a sample of a virus in the presence of radioactive radiation.35S and another sample of a virus in the presence of32Q. So you've allowed both samples to infect bacteria. They mixed those35If the32P Separate samples and centrifuge both samples. Genetic material was separated from non-genetic material by centrifugation. The genetic material seeped into the solid containing the bacterial cells at the bottom of the tube, while the non-genetic material remained in the liquid. By analyzing their radioactive tracers, Hershey and Chase discovered that the32P stayed with the bacteria, and the35S remained in the supernatant. These results were confirmed by additional tests with radioactive phosphorus.
phosphorus and life
We get most of the elements from nature in the form of minerals. Phosphorus occurs in nature in the form of phosphates. Rocks containing phosphate are fluorapatite (\(\ce{3Ca3(PO4)2.CaF2}\)), chlorapatite, (\(\ce{3Ca3(PO4)2.CaCl2}\)) and hydroxyapatite (\(\ce { 3Ca3(PO4)2.Ca(OH)2}\)). These minerals are very similar to bones and teeth. The arrangements of atoms and ions in bones and teeth are similar to those in phosphate rocks. In fact, when the \(\ce{OH-}\) ions of the teeth are replaced by \(\ce{F-}\), the teeth resist caries. This discovery led to a number of social and economic problems.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are essential ingredients for plants, and their ingredients are essential in all forms of fertilizer. From an industrial and economic point of view, phosphorus-containing compounds are important raw materials. Therefore, phosphorus chemistry has academic, commercial, and industrial interests.
Phosphorchemie
As a member ofnitrogen family,group 15In the periodic table, phosphorus has 5 valence shell electrons available for bonding. Its valence shell setting is 3s23p3. Phosphorus mainly forms covalent bonds. Any phosphorus rock can be used to create elemental phosphorus. Crushed phosphate rock and sand (\(\ce{SiO2}\)) react at 1700 K to form phosphorus oxide, \(\ce{P4O10}\):
\[\ce{2 Ca3(PO4)2 + 6 SiO2 \rightarrow P4O10 + 6 CaSiO3} \label{1}\]
\(\ce{P4O10}\) can be reduced by carbon:
\[\ce{P4O10 + 10 C \rightarrow P4 + 10 CO}. \label{2}\]
Waxy white phosphorus solids are molecular crystals composed of \(\ce{P4}\ molecules). They have an interesting property of burning themselves up in air:
\[\ce{P4 + 5 O2 \rightarrow P4O10} \label{3}\]
The structure of \(\ce{P4}\) can be understood by looking at the electronic configuration (S2 P3) of \(\ce{P}\) when linking. Sharing three electrons with other atoms \(\ce{P}\) results in the 6 bonds \(\ce{P-P}\), with a lone pair of electrons occupying the 4th position in a distorted tetrahedron.
Combustion with a lack of oxygen produces \(\ce{P4O6}\):
\[\ce{P4 + 3 O2 \rightarrow P4O6} \label{4}\]
An atom \(\ce{O}\) is inserted for each of the bonds \(\ce{P-P}\).
When phosphorus burns with excess oxygen, \(\ce{P4O10}\) is formed. An additional \(\ce{O}\) atom is attached directly to \(\ce{P}\):
\[\ce{P4 + 5 O2 \rightarrow P4O10} \label{5}\]
Thus the oxides \(\ce{P4O6}\) and \(\ce{P4O10}\) share interesting properties. Phosphorus oxides, \(\ce{P4O10}\), dissolve in water to form phosphoric acid,
\[\ce{P4O10 + 6 H2O \rightarrow 4 H3PO4} \label{6}\]
Phosphoric acid is a polyprotic acid and ionizes in three stages:
\[\ce{H3PO4 \rightleftharpoons H+ + H2PO4-} \label{7a}\]
\[\ce{H2PO4- \rightleftharpoons H+ + HPO4^2-} \label{7b}\]
\[\ce{HPO4^2- \rightarrow H+ + PO4^3-} \label{7c}\]
phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid is onepolybasic acid, making it an ideal buffer. It becomes increasingly difficult to separate the hydrogen from the phosphate forming the pKaAthe values increase in basicity: 2.12, 7.21 and 12.67. The conjugate bases H2AFTER4-, HP42-, is PO43-can be mixed to form buffer solutions.
| Reaction | dissociation constant |
|---|---|
| \(H_3PO_4 + H_2O \rightarrow H_3O^+ + H_2PO^{4-}\) | ka1=7,5x10-3 |
| \(H_2PO^{4-} + H_2O \rightarrow H_3O^+ + HPO_4^{2-}\) | ka2=6,2x10-8 |
| \(H_2PO^{4-} + H_2O \rightarrow H_3O^+ + PO_4^{3-}\) | ka3=2,14x10-3 |
| Gesamt: \(H_3PO_4 + 3H_2O \rightarrow 3 H_3O^+ + PO_4^{3-}\) |
Past and present uses of phosphorus
Commercially, phosphorus compounds are used in the production of phosphoric acid (\(H_3PO_4\)) (contained in soft drinks and used in the composition of fertilizers). Other compounds find use in fireworks and naturally phosphorescent compounds that glow in the dark. Phosphorus compounds are currently used in foods, toothpaste, baking soda, matches, pesticides, nerve gases and fertilizers. Phosphoric acid is not only used in buffer solutions, it is also an important ingredient in Coca-Cola and other soft drinks! Phosphorus compounds were once used in laundry detergents as water softeners until they raised concerns about pollution and eutrophication. Pure phosphorus was once prescribed as a medicine and aphrodisiac until doctors realized it was toxic (Emsley).
references
- Sadava, Davidet al.LIFE: The Science of Biology.Eighth edition. Sinauer Associates, 2008.
- Emsley, John.the 13th element: The Dirty Tale of Murder, Fire, and Phosphorus.John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 2000.
- Corbridge, D.E.C.The structural chemistry of phosphorus. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company. 1974.
Questions
- About 85% of the total industrial production of phosphoric acid is used
The. in the detergent industry
B. to prepare buffer solutions
w. in the paint industry
D. to make superphosphate fertilizer
It is. in plastic production - What is formed when phosphorus pentoxide \(\ce{P4O10}\) reacts with water? Provide the formula for the product.
- What is the phosphorus product when \(\ce{PCl3}\) reacts with water? Enter the formula.
solutions
- Responder...D
The middle number (e.g. 6-5-8) indicates the percentage of phosphorus compound in a fertilizer. Phosphorus is an important element for plants.
- responder\(\ce{H3PO4}\)
\[\ce{P4O10 + 6 H2O \rightarrow 4 H3PO4}\]
- responder\(\ce{H3PO3}\)
\[\ce{PCl3 + 3 H2O \rightarrow H3PO3 + 3 HCl}\]
This is a weaker acid than \(\ce{H3PO4}\).
Employees
- Aimee Kindel (UCD), Kirenjot Grewal (UCD), Tiffany Lui (UCD)
Chung (Peter) Chieh(Professor Emeritus of Chemistry @University of Waterloo)
FAQs
What type of element is phosphorus Z 15? ›
Phosphorus is a nonmetal, solid at room temperature, and a poor conductor of heat and electricity. Phosphorus occurs in at least 10 allotropic forms, the most common (and reactive) of which is so-called white (or yellow) phosphorus which looks like a waxy solid or plastic.
What is atomic number of phosphorus 15? ›Phosphorus is a chemical element with symbol P and atomic number 15. Classified as a nonmetal, Phosphorus is a solid at room temperature.
What is the mass number of phosphorus 15? ›A nitrogen atom with 7 protons and 8 neutrons has a mass number of 15 amu. On the periodic table, the atomic mass for nitrogen is 14.01.
What is the formula for phosphorus? ›It has a tetrahedral shape and has the formula P4. The two main forms of phosphorus are white phosphorus and red phosphorus.
What is the correct electron configuration for phosphorus Z 15 *? ›A Because phosphorus is in the third row of the periodic table, we know that it has a [Ne] closed shell with 10 electrons. We begin by subtracting 10 electrons from the 15 in phosphorus. The electron configuration is [Ne]3s23p3.
How many valence electrons does an atom of phosphorus Z 15 have? ›Correct answer:
Explanation: In its ground state, phosphorous has five valence electron. From this configuration we can see that the outermost shell is . In its outer shell there are two electrons in the subshell and three electrons in the subshell, giving us a total of five valence electrons.
Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15.
Does phosphorus have 15 electrons? ›In order to write the Phosphorus electron configuration we first need to know the number of electrons for the P atom (there are 15 electrons).
What does it mean if the atomic number is 15? ›Phosphorus has an atomic number of 15, meaning it has 15 protons. Phosphorus is important for living things and is one of the main elements that make up our DNA.
Does phosphorus have 15 or 16 neutrons? ›The nucleus of radio phosphorus has one neutron more than the stable nucleus.
Does phosphorus have 15 protons and 16 electrons? ›
The chemical symbol for Phosphorus. A 2 dimensional representation of a Phosphorus atom with 15 protons and 16 neutrons in the nucleus and 15 electrons orbiting the nucleus.
What is phosphorus in chemistry? ›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.
What are the 3 types of phosphorus? ›The important allotropic forms of phosphorus are white phosphorus, black phosphorus and red phosphorus.
Is phosphorus a P4 or P? ›Nitrogen exists as diatomic molecule and phosphorus as P4.
How many electrons does #15 phosphorus need to gain to be stable? ›The group 15 elements consist of five valence electrons. Due to this, the elements can either lose five electrons or gain three electrons in order to attain the stable configuration.
What is the electronic configuration of z15? ›Phosphorus atom has atomic number , (Z = 15), so its electronic configuration is1s2,2s2,2p2x,2p2y,2p2z,3s2,3p1x,3p1y,3p1z .
How many unpaired electrons are present in phosphorus Z 15? ›Therefore, Phosphorus has 3 unpaired electrons present in it.
What is the electron configuration for the element with Z 15? ›The electronic configuration of an element with atomic number 15 will be 2, 8, 5.
How many valence electrons should phosphorus have since it is in group 15? ›Answer: Phosphorus is a neutral element that belongs to Group 15A. The valence electrons in the phosphorus atom are five. These can be found at the atom's third energy level.
What is the valency of an element with Z 15? ›Thus,the element will show valencies of 3 and 5. (The element having atomic number 15 is actually phosphorus).
What has a total of 15 electrons? ›
A phosphorus atom has a total of 15 electrons.
How many electrons protons and neutrons are present in phosphorus Z 15 a 31? ›1 Answer. This is the isotope phosphorus-31. It has 15 protons, 15 electrons, and 16 neutrons.
What has 15 protons and electrons? ›if you look at the periodic table, phosphorus has 15 electrons and protons, and 16 neutrons.
Is 15 a compound number? ›Is 15 a Composite Number? Yes, since 15 has more than two factors i.e. 1, 3, 5, 15. In other words, 15 is a composite number because 15 has more than 2 factors.
Which the number 12 is an element? ›Magnesium is a chemical element with symbol Mg and atomic number 12. Classified as an alkaline earth metal, Magnesium is a solid at room temperature.
What is the name of 13 element? ›| Atomic Number | Symbol | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Na | Sodium |
| 12 | Mg | Magnesium |
| 13 | Al | Aluminum |
| 14 | Si | Silicon |
Group 5A (or VA) of the periodic table are the pnictogens: the nonmetals nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), the metalloids arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb), and the metal bismuth (Bi).
Do all phosphorus atoms have 15 protons? ›Answer and Explanation: There are 15 protons in a phosphorus atom.
Does phosphorus have 15 protons? ›A nucleus of stable phosphorus has 15 protons and 16 neutrons.
What atom has exactly 15 protons? ›If an element has 15 protons, it MUST be phosphorus, regardless of the mass .
What does being a group 15 element mean? ›
What are Group 15 Elements? Group 15 elements are also called the Nitrogen family. It includes nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and bismuth elements. The p-block elements are also known as the Representative Elements which are placed on the right side of the main periodic table.
What element has 15 isotopes? ›| Z | Name | Mass (g/mol) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Phosphorus | 30.973762(2) |
| 16 | Sulfur | 32.065(5) |
| 17 | Chlorine | 35.453(2) |
| 18 | Argon | 39.948(1) |
Hence, phosphorus atom has 15 protons, 16 neutrons, and 15 electrons.
Is phosphorus 15 an isotope? ›Although phosphorus (15P) has 22 isotopes from 26P to 47P, only 31P is stable; as such, phosphorus is considered a monoisotopic element.
What has 15 protons 15 neutrons and 18 electrons? ›The given species contains 15 protons, which suggests its atomic number to be 15. So, the species must be phosphorus (P).
What element has 15 protons and 15 neutrons and 14 electrons? ›#14 - Silicon - Si.
What has 15 protons and 16 neutrons? ›A nucleus of stable phosphorus has 15 protons and 16 neutrons.
What is the net charge if phosphorus has 15 protons and 18 electrons? ›(b) By referring to a periodic table or table of elements, we see that phosphorus (symbol P) has an atomic number of 15. Thus, each atom has 15 protons. The mass number of the ion is 15 + 16 = 31. Because the ion has 15 protons and 18 electrons (three more electrons than protons), its net charge is 3-.
What is phosphorus answer? ›Phosphorous is a multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group. It is found in nature in several allotropic forms, and is an essential element for the life of organisms. There are several forms of phosphorous, called white, red and black phosphorous, although the their colours are more likely to be slightly different.
Why is phosphorus used for? ›Phosphorus is needed for the growth, maintenance, and repair of all tissues and cells, and for the production of the genetic building blocks, DNA and RNA. Phosphorus is also needed to help balance and use other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, iodine, magnesium, and zinc.
Is phosphorus a P or PH? ›
After nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) is the second most limiting nutrient. It can reduce plant growth and development and potentially limit crop yield.
What is the most common phosphorus? ›The most common forms are white phosphorus, made up of phosphorus atoms arranged like a tetrahedron (a four-sided pyramid), and red phosphorus, a solid but non-crystalline form of the element.
What are examples of phosphorus? ›Phosphorus can be found in foods (organic phosphorus) and is naturally found in protein-rich foods such as meats, poultry, fish, nuts, beans and dairy products. Phosphorus found in animal foods is absorbed more easily than phosphorus found in plant foods.
What color is phosphate? ›For example, phosphate fertilizers from Florida and North Carolina are typically brown to black; Idaho and Wyoming phosphates are green; Moroccan phosphates brown; and Russian phosphates usually white to ivory colored.
What is P4 also called? ›tetrahedro-tetraphosphorus. Phosphorus, mol. ( P4) Phosphorus molecule (P4)
Does phosphorus only exist as P4? ›Phosphorus ( $ {{P}_{4}} $ ) exists in many allotropic forms but common are White, Red and Black Phosphorus.
What is P1 and P2 phosphorus? ›The P1 test, or weak Bray, will show you approximately how much phosphorus is available in your soil. The P2 test, or strong Bray, gives you total soil phosphorus.
Is phosphorus ionic covalent or metallic? ›Most phosphorus compounds exhibit covalent properties. Ionic compounds, such as sodium phosphide (Na3P), are few because the formation of P3− ions from P atoms requires a considerable amount of energy.
Is phosphorus an ion or anion? ›Phosphorus, Pstart text, P, end text, is a group 15 element and therefore forms 3- anions. Because it is an anion, we add the suffix -ide to its name to get phosphide as the name of the ion.
What class of elements does phosphorus belong to? ›Group 5A (or VA) of the periodic table are the pnictogens: the nonmetals nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), the metalloids arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb), and the metal bismuth (Bi).
Is phosphorus an element compound or mixture? ›
Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Earth.
What type of bond is phosphorus? ›The electron configuration of the phosphorus atom can be represented by 1s22s22p63s23p3. The outer shell arrangement therefore resembles that of nitrogen, with three half-filled orbitals each capable of forming a single covalent bond and an additional lone-pair of electrons.
What type of covalent bond is phosphorus? ›The Phosphorus Bond, or the Phosphorus-Centered Pnictogen Bond: The Covalently Bound Phosphorus Atom in Molecular Entities and Crystals as a Pnictogen Bond Donor - PMC.
Is phosphorus an ionic bond? ›Phosphorus is covalent and its structure is giant covalent/macromolecular. Phosphate is in ionic form.
What is the charge for P? ›The formal charge of phosphorus is 0.
Is phosphorus a negative or positive? ›The main known forms of the element are white, red, and black phosphorus. In addition, there are hundreds of compounds in which phosphorus is present as an anion, a negatively charged ion.
Why does phosphorus have a charge of 3? ›It has five valence electrons, so, to completely fill its outermost valence shell and make an octet (eight electrons), it tends to gain three electrons. Hence, when phosphorus (P) gains three electrons it forms a P³⁻ ion which has a charge of 3-.
What are Group 15 elements called? ›Group-15 elements
Group elements are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Arsenic, Antimony, and Bismuth. They are called pnitcogens. The term pnicogens are derived from two words: pnicto - "choking gas" and gen - “producer.”
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.
What color is phosphorus? ›Phosphorus in its pure form has a white colour.
Why is it called phosphorus? ›
Phosphorus gets its name from the Greek word "phosphoros" meaning "bringer of light." Henning Brandt picked this name because the element glowed in the dark.
How does phosphorus react with water? ›Phosphorus + Water
Because phosphorus does not react with water, scientists often store it underwater to prevent reactions with air. But boiling phosphorus in water produces phosphine and phosphorous acid.
Food Sources
A variety of foods naturally contain phosphorus, and the richest sources are dairy, red meat, poultry, seafood, legumes, and nuts. Phosphorus from these foods is called organic phosphorus. It is absorbed more efficiently from animal foods than plant foods.