buggerygrips:Phosphorus - Ava IreHas many different forms, some of which will burst into flame with
buggerygrips:Phosphorus - Ava IreHas many different forms, some of which will burst into flame with little warning. Black and violent phosphorus are stable forms, and can be made from the more reactive red form. The least stable form of all is white phosphorus: it’s also the most common, the most toxic and the most volatile, sometimes igniting just on contact with air.Exposed to sunlight, white phosphorus changes into its red form: still reactive, but gradually becoming far less likely to combust.It is sometimes referred to as “the Devil’s element” due to its explosive properties, and because it was the thirteenth element to be discovered. Despite this, phosphorus is essential to all of us: it’s a key component of DNA and energy storage in cells, and we couldn’t live without it.In ancient Greece, “Phosphorus” was the name for the bright planet Venus, and true to its name the white form of the element glows when exposed to oxygen. -- source link