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Compare Phosphorus vs Chlorine

Comparing Phosphorus (P) and Chlorine (Cl). Atomic numbers 15 and 17 with atomic masses 30.974 u and 35.446 u, classified as nonmetal and nonmetal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.

vs
P
Phosphorus
#15
Cl
Chlorine
#17

Periodic properties of the elements

PhosphorusChlorine
SymbolPCl
Atomic number1517
Group1517
Period33
Blockpp
Element categoryNonmetalNonmetal

Physical properties

PhosphorusChlorine
Phase at STPSolidGas
Density1.823 g/cm33.2 g/cm3
Atomic weight30.9738 u35.446 u
Melting point-171.6 K
-101.55 °C
-150.79 °F
Boiling point-239.11 K
-34.04 °C
-29.272 °F

Atomic properties

PhosphorusChlorine
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)2.193.16
Electron affinity72.037 kJ/mol348.575 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5
(a mildly acidic oxide)		−1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6, +7
(a strongly acidic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 1011.8 kJ/mol
  2. 1907 kJ/mol
  3. 2914.1 kJ/mol
  4. 4963.6 kJ/mol
  5. 6273.9 kJ/mol
  6. 21267 kJ/mol
  7. 25431 kJ/mol
  8. 29872 kJ/mol
  9. 35905 kJ/mol
  10. 40950 kJ/mol
  11. 46261 kJ/mol
  12. 54110 kJ/mol
  13. 59024 kJ/mol
  14. 271791 kJ/mol
  15. 296195 kJ/mol
  1. 1251.2 kJ/mol
  2. 2298 kJ/mol
  3. 3822 kJ/mol
  4. 5158.6 kJ/mol
  5. 6542 kJ/mol
  6. 9362 kJ/mol
  7. 11018 kJ/mol
  8. 33604 kJ/mol
  9. 38600 kJ/mol
  10. 43961 kJ/mol
  11. 51068 kJ/mol
  12. 57119 kJ/mol
  13. 63363 kJ/mol
  14. 72341 kJ/mol
  15. 78095 kJ/mol
  16. 352994 kJ/mol
  17. 380760 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

PhosphorusChlorine
Shorthand configuration[Ne] 3s2 3p3 [Ne] 3s2 3p5
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5
Electrons per shell2, 8, 52, 8, 7

History

PhosphorusChlorine
DiscoveryHennig Brand (1669)Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1774)
First isolationHennig Brand (1669)Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1774)
Named bySir Humphry Davy (1810)
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