Phosphorus exists in two major forms: white phosphorus and red phosphorus, essential for DNA and ATP.
Core Principles & Analysis
Hennig Brand discovered phosphorus in 1669 by boiling down urine in search of gold, making it the first element with a recorded discoverer.
Its white allotrope glows in air and ignites spontaneously, while the red form is stable; the name comes from the Greek for 'light-bearer'.
Phosphates form the backbone of DNA and the energy currency ATP, and the great majority of mined phosphorus goes into agricultural fertilizers, with red phosphorus coating match strikers.