Home SCIENCE Phosphorus – An Element, That IGNITES Everything AROUND IT

Phosphorus – An Element, That IGNITES Everything AROUND IT

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So, today I want to tell you about such an element as phosphorus. Phosphorus is a typical non-metal element that is located in the 15th group of the periodic table of chemical elements. In nature, phosphorus is present in the composition of the minerals called Apatite. Our body contains 1% of phosphorus by mass, mostly as part of the bones.

source/image: Thoisoi2

Pure phosphorus exists in 4 allotropic modifications, the most common one of which is the modification of red phosphorus. The red phosphorus looks like a dark red powder, which readily absorbs moisture from the air. Over time, red phosphorus gets caked due to formation of polyphosphoric acids while being exposed to air.//read more: Thoisoi2

In everyday life, we can find phosphorus on the scratch surface of a matchbox. During the friction process of a match with the box, the potassium chlorate contained in the match-head oxidizes the phosphorus, releasing heat that ignites the composition of the match-head. Red phosphorus burns well in air. And, of course, it burns even better in pure oxygen.

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In a flask filled with pure oxygen, the burning phosphorus emits huge amounts of light. This reaction can be used for lighting up a large space The smoke produced in the bulb is nothing more but the phosphorus oxide, from which it is possible to obtain calcium zinc phosphate which is used for coating the insides of fluorescent lamps, as a luminophore.//read more: Thoisoi2

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