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Compare Phosphorus vs Silicon

Comparing Phosphorus (P) and Silicon (Si). Atomic numbers 15 and 14 with atomic masses 30.974 u and 28.084 u, classified as nonmetal and metalloid. 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
Si
Silicon
#14

Periodic properties of the elements

PhosphorusSilicon
SymbolPSi
Atomic number1514
Group1514
Period33
Blockpp
Element categoryNonmetalMetalloid

Physical properties

PhosphorusSilicon
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density1.823 g/cm32.329 g/cm3
Atomic weight30.9738 u28.084 u
Melting point-1687 K
1413.85 °C
2576.93 °F
Boiling point-3538 K
3264.85 °C
5908.73 °F

Atomic properties

PhosphorusSilicon
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)2.191.9
Electron affinity72.037 kJ/mol134.068 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5
(a mildly acidic oxide)		−4, −3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
(an amphoteric 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. 786.5 kJ/mol
  2. 1577.1 kJ/mol
  3. 3231.6 kJ/mol
  4. 4355.5 kJ/mol
  5. 16091 kJ/mol
  6. 19805 kJ/mol
  7. 23780 kJ/mol
  8. 29287 kJ/mol
  9. 33878 kJ/mol
  10. 38726 kJ/mol
  11. 45962 kJ/mol
  12. 50502 kJ/mol
  13. 235196 kJ/mol
  14. 257923 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

PhosphorusSilicon
Shorthand configuration[Ne] 3s2 3p3 [Ne] 3s2 3p2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 52, 8, 4

History

PhosphorusSilicon
PredictionAntoine Lavoisier (1787)
DiscoveryHennig Brand (1669)Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1823)
First isolationHennig Brand (1669)Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1823)
Named byThomas Thomson (1817)
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