Phosphorus Facts
Phosphorus Facts
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| Interesting Phosphorus Facts: |
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| Hennig Brand discovered phosphorus in 1669 by extracting it from buckets of urine. |
| It is sometimes referred to as the "Devil's Element," because it was the thirteenth element discovered and because of its explosive properties. |
| Phosphorus was the first element discovered that had not already been in use by civilizations for hundreds of years. |
| Three other allotropes, violet phosphorus, scarlet phosphorus and black phosphorus, are less common. |
| It is a vital part of living cells, including nervous tissue, bones, and the protoplasm of many cells. |
| It is a part of DNA, RNA, ATP, and cell membranes. |
| Typical phosphorus is a waxy white solid. |
| Pure phosphorus is colorless. |
| It is spontaneously combustible in air. |
| Most commercially produced phosphorus compounds are used as fertilizer. |
| It is also used in detergents and pesticides, among other household uses. |
| There are twenty-three recognized isotopes of phosphorus, but only one is stable. |
| The stable isotope, P-31, has an abundance of 100 percent. |
| Phosphorus is not available in nature on its own, but is found in many minerals. |
| Guano has long been a source of commercial phosphorus. |
| Around half of the world's phosphorus reserves are found in the Middle East. |
| Scientists are divided on when the supply of phosphorus at its current rate of consumption will run out. |
| Some estimate the world's supply at this rate will remain steady for over three hundred years, while others feel it is closer to fifty years. |
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