![]() Red phosphorus is far more stable at room temperature - in fact, it's found on the side of any box of safety matches. Inhalation or contact with the skin is toxic, causing burns that can quickly turn fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it smells like matches or garlic. As a result, white phosphorus is used in fireworks and weaponry. It's also capable of self-igniting in air once the temperature reaches about 86 F (30 C) the only safe storage is under water. White phosphorus is waxy and gives off a slight glow in air, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry. Less common is black phosphorus, which is made of atoms arranged in a ring structure and looks a bit like the graphite at the point of a pencil. The most common forms are white phosphorus, made up of phosphorus atoms arranged like a tetrahedron (a four-sided pyramid), and red phosphorus, a solid but non-crystalline form of the element. The world phosphorus comes from a Greek word meaning "bearer of light," and this element delivers on that promise. The vapor is condensed into phosphorus underwater to prevent ignition.(Image credit: Greg Robson/Creative Commons, Andrei Marincas Shutterstock) Element of light Phosphorus is obtained from calcium phosphate by heating the rock in a furnace to yield tetraphosphorus vapor. While it's certainly possible to isolate phosphorus from urine or bone, today the element is isolated from phosphate-bearing minerals.Phosphorus is abundant in the Earth's crust at a concentration of about 1,050 parts per million, by weight. The release of phosphorus compounds seen early in Earth's history (yet not today) contributed to the conditions needed for the origin of life. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, phosphorus may have been brought to Earth by meteorites.Red phosphorus is also one of the chemicals used in illegal production of methamphetamines. ![]() The element is also used in flares, safety matches, light-emitting diodes, and steel production. The primary use of phosphorus is for fertilizer production. ![]() At least 23 isotopes of the element are known. Natural phosphorus consists of one stable isotope, phosphorus-31.Red phosphorus is a safer alternative and is considered non-toxic. Contact with white phosphorus can cause chemical burns. Matches made using white phosphorus are associated with a disease known as phossy jaw which causes disfiguration and death. White phosphorus, in particular, is associated with negative health effects. In the human body, it's found in DNA, bones, and as an ion used for muscle contraction and nerve conduction. ![]() There are about 750 grams of phosphorus in the average adult.
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