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Atomic: M.A.C. | Reference
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Reactions of Phosphorus
Reactions with water
White phosphorus glows in the dark when exposed to damp air in a process known as chemiluminescence.
Reactions with air
White phosphorus must be handled with great care. It spontanteously ignites in air at about room temperature to form "phosphorus pentoxide" - actually tetraphosphorus decaoxide, P4O10.
  P4(s) + 5O2(g)P4O10(s)
Under careful control (75% O2, 25% N2, 50°C, 90 mm Hg), a mixture is formed, one of the products within which is "phosphorus trioxide" - actually tetraphosphorus hexaoxide, P4O6.
  P4(s) + 3O2(g)P4O6(s)
Reactions with halogens
White phosphorus, P4, reacts vigorously with all the halogens at room temeperature to form phosphorus(III) trihalides.
  P4(s) + 6F2(g)4PF3(g)
  P4(s) + 6Cl2(g)4PCl3(g)
  P4(s) + 6Br2(g)4PBr3(g)
  P4(s) + 6I2(g)4PI3(g)
White phosphorus reacts with iodine in carbon disulphide (CS2) to form phosphorus(II) iodide. The same compound is formed in the reaction between red phosphorus and iodine at 180°C.
  P4(s) + 4I2(g)2P2I4(g)
Reactions with acids
Phosphorus does not react with dilute non-oxidizing acids.
 
Reduction Potentials
Balanced half-reaction E0 / V
PO43- + 3H+ + 2e-HPO32- + H2O +0.121
HPO42- + 2H+ + 2e-HPO32- + H2O -0.234
H2PO4- + H+ + 2e-HPO32- + H2O -0.447
H2PO4- + 2H+ + 2e-H2PO3- + H2O -0.260
H3PO4 + H+ + 2e-H2PO3- + H2O -0.329
H3PO4 + 2H+ + 2e-H3PO3 + H2O -0.276
PO43- + 8H+ + 5e-P(red) + 4H2O -0.128
PO43- + 8H+ + 5e-P(white) + 4H2O -0.156
HPO42- + 7H+ + 5e-P(red) + 4H2O -0.288
HPO42- + 7H+ + 5e-P(white) + 4H2O -0.316
H2PO4- + 6H+ + 5e-P(red) + 4H2O -0.358
H2PO4- + 6H+ + 5e-P(white) + 4H2O -0.386
H3PO4 + 5H+ + 5e-P(red) + 4H2O -0.383
H3PO4 + 5H+ + 5e-P(white) + 4H2O -0.411
PO43- + 11H+ + 8e-PH3(g) + 4H2O -0.123
HPO42- + 10H+ + 8e-PH3(g) + 4H2O -0.212
H2PO4- + 9H+ + 8e-PH3(g) + 4H2O -0.265
H3PO4 + 8H+ + 8e-PH3(g)) + 4H2O -0.281
H3PO3 + 2H+ + 2e-H3PO2 + H2O -0.499
HPO32- + 5H+ + 3e-P(red) + 3H2O -0.298
HPO32- + 5H+ + 3e-P(white) + 3H2O -0.346
H2PO3- + 4H+ + 3e-P(red) + 3H2O -0.419
H2PO3- + 4H+ + 3e-P(white) + 3H2O -0.467
H3PO3 + 3H+ + 3e-P(red) + 3H2O -0.454
H3PO3 + 3H+ + 3e-P(white) + 3H2O -0.502
H4P2O6 + 2H+ + 2e-2H3PO3 +0.38
2H3PO4 + 2H+ + 2e-H4P2O6 + 2H2O -0.94
P(red) + 3H+ + 3e-PH3(g) -0.111
P(white) + 3H+ + 3e-PH3(g) -0.063