Phosphorous

This is Phosphorous (America Spelling above) 

Photo Credit: PeriodicTable.com

Atomic Number: 15
Relative Mass: 30.9
Group: 15
Period: 3
Block: P

Symbol: P

Phosphorous is a non-metal element. Naturally, it is not found pure. It is usually combined in compounds with minerals. There are four forms of phosphorous, Red, white, violet and black. The two main forms of phosphorous - white phosphorous and red phosphorous. White phosphorous is a waxy solid which is poisonous. If this type of phosphorous touches your skin, it can form severe burns. White phosphorous can glow in the dark and can spontaneously combust in air. The other form, red phosphorous, is non-toxic. It is also known to have the property of amorphous which means that it has no clear shape.

The photo on the left (above) is a mixture of violet and black phosphorus.

This is a Video of Red Phosphorous Reacting with Oxygen

Discovery of Phosphorous

This is the symbol for Alchemy (Alchemical Symbol)

It is meant to show the four elements of matter
symbolising the Philosopher's Stone

(And yes, it does look like the Deathly Hallows Symbol)

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Phosphorous was discovered in the year 1669 by the German chemist, military officer and physicist - Hennig Brand. Hennig Brand isolated white phosphorous from urine... Yes, that right (Human wee). He evaporated the urine then heated up the residue which was left to red hot. The phosphorous vapours where distilled and collected by condensing the element within the water.
Hennig Brand kept his discovery secret. The chemist was determined and driven by his desire to find the Philosopher's Stone which quite like the Harry Potter Series was rumoured to turn ordinary metals into gold.

But, Hennig Brand ran out of money. The chemist sold his phosphorous to Daniel Kraft. Daniel Kraft exhibited this new substance around Europe. In particular, he took it to London where another Chemist - Robert Boyle, was fascinated by it. Independently, Robert Boyle discovered how to produce it in the year 1680.
Though it was Robert Boyle's assistant who got rich from this discovery. Ambrose Godfrey set up his own business and sold phosphorous.

In the 1800s, Phosphorous was found to be present in bone - as Calcium Phosphate. Bones could be used to access phosphorous and this new resource for phosphorous made phosphorous widely available.
Now though the most important source of phosphorous is phosphorous rocks which are located in large quantities in the USA. The deposits of this phosphorous rock can be heated with other elements like Carbon and Silica (Silicon) to get the pure form.

Biological Uses

Phosphorous is very important for most forms of life on Earth. This is due to phosphorous being one of the elements which make up the Sugar-phosphate backbone to DNA or RNA.
Additionally, phosphorous is an element used in our way of getting energy from food. Phosphate is in the molecule named Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP.

Humans take an estimate of 1g of phosphorous in daily. Then store 750g of phosphate in the body within the bones (as Calcium Phosphate).

Though it isn't all good for nature. Phosphorous can also cause algae to grow excessively in rivers and lakes. This would be due to people or nature accidentally putting fertiliser into flow water systems. When the algae bloom due to excess phosphorous, Oxygen gets stolen from the water - killing the wildlife inside.

Its Uses

• White phosphorous is used in flares as well as other incendiary devices. 
• Red phosphorous is used as the red coarse side of a matchbox - the one used to ignite the match.
• Phosphorous is largely used as a component in fertiliser as ammonium phosphate 
• Phosphorous is used in the manufacturing of steel. 
• Phosphorous is within detergents which is beginning to be phased out due to excess detergent causing algae to form.