P Phosphorus     Atomic number : 15 
    Relative atomic mass (12C = 12.0000) :  30.973762 
    P H Y S I C A L     D A T A
Group 15 non-metal
 
Density / kg m-3 :  1820 (P4); 2200 (red); 2690 (black) [293 K]
 
Melting point / K :  317.3 (P4); 683 (red) under pressure 
 
Boiling point / K :  553 (P4)
 
    D I S C O V E R Y
Discovered in 1669 by Hennig Brandt at Hamburg, Germany.
 
    G E O L O G I C A L     D A T A
Abundances
 
Sun (relative to H = 1 × 1012) : 3.16 × 105
 
Earth's crust / p.p.m. : 1000
 
Residence time / years : 100 000
 
Classification : recycled
 
Oxidation state : V
 
  
 
Seawater / p.p.m. :
    Atlantic surface : 0.0015
    Atlantic deep : 0.042
    Pacific surface : 0.0015
    Pacific deep : 0.084
    B I O L O G I C A L     D A T A
Level in humans
 
Blood / mg dm-3 : 345
 
Bone / p.p.m. : 67 000 - 71 000
 
Liver / p.p.m. : 3 - 8.5
 
Muscle / p.p.m. : 3000 - 8500
 
  
 
Daily dietary intake : 900 - 19000 mg
 
Total mass of element
in average (70 kg) person :
780 g

 

NetElements II  

A portrait of phosphorus is available on the Visual Elements site. Up to 200 individual items of information on this element are available in The Elements.


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NetElements II last modified October 27th, 1999