15P30.974
Polyatomic Non-Metalp-block
Phosphorus
Element 15 on the periodic table, symbol P, group 15, period 3.
Phosphorus is a chemical element with symbol P and atomic number 15. As an element, phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but due to its high reactivity, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Earth. Instead phosphorus-containing minerals are almost always present in their maximally oxidised state, as inorganic phosphate rocks.
Appearance: colourless, waxy white, yellow, scarlet, red, violet, black
Properties
- Atomic Number
- 15
- Atomic Mass
- 30.9738 u
- Group
- 15
- Period
- 3
- Block
- p-block
- Category
- Polyatomic Non-Metal
- State at 25 °C
- Solid
- Melting Point
- Not measured
- Boiling Point
- Not measured
- Density
- 1.823 g/cm³
- Atomic Radius
- 100 pm
- Electronegativity
- 2.19
- Oxidation States
- -3, +3, +5
- Abundance in Crust
- 1,050 mg/kg
- Discovered
- 1669
- Discovered By
- Hennig Brand
Electron Configuration
[Ne] 3s2 3p3
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3
Ionisation Energies (kJ/mol)
- 1. 1,011.8
- 2. 1,907
- 3. 2,914.1
- 4. 4,963.6
- 5. 6,273.9
- 6. 21,267
- 7. 25,431
- 8. 29,872
Elements near Phosphorus
Elements in the same group share the number of outer electrons and behave in similar ways. Elements in the same period share a shell, so they change steadily from left to right.