Phosphorus

=//Phosphorus//= Names: Douglas McCarty, Austin Gregory

Area 1: Essential Data: Name: Phosphorus Symbol: P Atomic#: 15 Atomic mass: 30.97376 amu Solid at room tempature Period 3, Family 16

Area 2: History : Phosphorus is the first element to be discovered having an historical register. In 1669, a German merchant called Henning Brand obtained elementary phosphorus through the distillation of urine. Phosphorus is the first element to be discovered having an historical register. In 1669, a German merchant called Henning Brand obtained elementary phosphorus through the distillation of urine.

Area 3 :Propeties: Phosphorus is three different colors, black, red, and white. White phosphorus is extremely flamable when exposed to air, glows in the dark and too much can poison you. Red phosphorus can turn to white phosphorus by friction or heat. Melting point (white) 44.1°C; boiling point 280°C. Atomic Number is 15. It is a solid, nonmetal. It is found in the forms of powder and rocks.It has many isotopes, but only one is stable.Pople use phosphorus ijn factorties, and pesticides for faming. Area 4: Uses of phosphorus : Phosphorus is found in the head of matches and ignited by friction. It is poisonous in suggnificant amounts. It is also in fertalizers, fireworks, and pesticides. Phosphorus is not found in a pure form in nature. It is, in nature, bonded to oxygen making it a phosphate. It is in teeth, bones, and is in some foods like salmon, turkey, or liver. Too much phosphate can cause health problems, such as kidney damage and osteoporosis. Phosphate shortages can also occur. These are caused by extensive use of medicine. Too little phosphate can cause health problems. White phosphorus is extremely poisonous and in many cases exposure to it will be fatal. White phosphorus enters the environment when industries use it to make other chemicals and when the army uses it as ammunition. Through discharge of wastewater white phosphorus ends up in surface waters near the factories that use it. In deep soils and the bottom of rivers and lakes, phosphorus may remain for a thousand years. The effects are mainly consequences of emissions of large quantities of phosphate into the environment due to mining and cultivating. During water purification phosphates are often not removed properly, so that they can spread over large distances when found in surface waters. The increasing phosphor concentrations in surface waters raise the growth of phosphate-dependent organisms, such as algae and duckweed. These organisms use great amounts of oxygen and prevent sunlight from entering the water. This makes the water fairly unliveable for other organisms. This phenomenon is commonly known as eutrophication.

Area 5: Phousphorus is found as phosphates in nature when it combines with 4 oxygen atoms. There are 23 different isotopes of phosphorus, and only one is reactive.

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