The element of phosphorus was discovered in 1669 by a man known as Hennig Brandt

while conducting experiments with urine. He was the first person to be credited for discovering
an element. Phosphorus is a highly reactive element which is why it can never be found directly
on Earth as a free element. A free element is a chemical element that is not combined with or
chemically bonded to other elements. Elemental phosphorus comes in various crystal structures
which include white, red, violet, and black phosphorus. The two major forms of phosphorus are
white and red. White phosphorus has a yellowish color, is highly flammable, and unstable. This
means that it can spontaneously combust when it encounters air. It glows in the dark and it is
very toxic. Red phosphorus is more stable when compared to the white phosphorus. It is less
toxic and does not spontaneously combust in the air. This type of phosphorus is made by heating
white phosphorus. Phosphorus is found in minerals known as phosphates, a chemical derivative
of phosphoric acid as well as the human body. The phosphorus that is utilized by most
businesses is delivered by mining and warming calcium phosphate. The primary use of
phosphorus in industry is in the manufacture of fertilizers. This is because phosphorus is a key
element in the growth of plants. Also, red phosphorus is used in making pesticides and safety
matches. Other applications for phosphorus include baking powder, the alloy phosphor bronze,
flame retardants, incendiary bombs, and LEDs (light emitting diodes). Phosphorus is an
important element in the functioning of the human body and is essential for life. It is used in the
DNA molecule and is a main ingredient in our bones and teeth. We get phosphorus from foods
such as beans, nuts, eggs, fish, milk, and chicken.
An interesting fact about phosphorus is that it used to be a major ingredient in detergents,
but the phosphates caused algae to grow in rivers and lakes which killed many living organisms.
Very few detergents still use phosphates for this reason. Another interesting fact is that touching
white phosphorus can cause severe burns. Also, black phosphorus looks like graphite powder
and conducts electricity despite it lacking a metal composition. Phosphorus is a very important
element today because it is an essential compound of commercial fertilizer. Modern farming
moves nourishment around the globe for preparation and utilization. By disturbing the common
cycle that returned phosphorus to the dirt through the decaying of plants, in numerous regions
fertilizer should now be persistently applied to advance the dirt's supplements. The greater part
of the phosphorus utilized in compost originates from phosphate rock, a limited resource formed
over millions of years in the earth's crust. 90% of the world's mined phosphate rock is utilized in
agriculture and food production, for the most part as fertilizer, and less as animal feed and food
additives. Phosphorus is a very important element for
society and agriculture.
Phosphorus Origin:
Phosphate Ore