Symbol	P
Atomic number	15
Group	15 (Nitrogen group)
Period	3
Block	p
Classification	Nonmetal

Appearance	Colourless, waxy white, yellow, scarlet, red, violet, black
Color	Colorless

Number of protons	15 p+
Number of neutrons	16 n0
Number of electrons	15 e-

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaPhosphorus 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.

Phase at STP	Solid
Density	1.823 g/cm3
Atomic weight	30.9738 u

Melting point	-
Boiling point	-
Heat of vaporization	12.4 kJ/mol

Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)	2.19
Electron affinity	72.037 kJ/mol
Oxidation states	−3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5 (a mildly acidic oxide)
Ionization energies	1011.8 kJ/mol 1907 kJ/mol 2914.1 kJ/mol 4963.6 kJ/mol 6273.9 kJ/mol 21267 kJ/mol 25431 kJ/mol 29872 kJ/mol 35905 kJ/mol 40950 kJ/mol 46261 kJ/mol 54110 kJ/mol 59024 kJ/mol 271791 kJ/mol 296195 kJ/mol

Electron configuration Shorthand configuration	[Ne] 3s2 3p3
Electron configuration Full configuration	1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3
Electron configuration chart	1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3
Electrons per shell	2, 8, 5
Valence electrons	5
Valency electrons	3,5
Bohr model	Figure: Shell diagram of Phosphorus (P) atom.
Orbital Diagram	1s 2s 2p 3s 3p

Discovery and first isolation	Hennig Brand (1669)
Recognised as an element by	Antoine Lavoisier (1777)
Discovery of phosphorus The discovery of phosphorus, the first element to be discovered that was not known since ancient times, is credited to the German alchemist Hennig Brand in 1669, although others might have discovered phosphorus around the same time. Brand experimented with urine, which contains considerable quantities of dissolved phosphates from normal metabolism. Working in Hamburg, Brand attempted to create the fabled philosopher's stone through the distillation of some salts by evaporating urine, and in the process produced a white material that glowed in the dark and burned brilliantly. It was named phosphorus mirabilis ("miraculous bearer of light"). Phosphorus was the 13th element to be discovered. Because of its tendency to spontaneously combust when left alone in air, it is sometimes referred to as "the Devil's element".

CAS Number	7723-14-0
ChemSpider ID	4575369
EC number	231-768-7
PubChem CID Number	5462309