Knowra Phosphorus oxyacids Phosphorus oxyacids Phosphorus oxyacids are compounds containing phosphorus, oxygen, and hydrogen that can donate protons. Their structures and acidity depend on phosphorus oxidation state, oxygen connectivity, and the number of P–OH bonds.
Phosphorus : A chemical element with atomic number 15, found in several allotropes and many biological and mineral compounds. Its bonding patterns determine the structures of every phosphorus oxyacid.
Phosphoric acid : A triprotic inorganic acid with formula H₃PO₄, containing one phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygens. It is the best-known phosphorus(V) oxyacid and releases three protons stepwise.
Hermann Kolbe : A German chemist whose work helped establish modern organic chemistry and chemical structural theory. His research on phosphorus compounds contributed to nineteenth-century knowledge of phosphorus chemistry.
Phosphate fertilizer : A fertilizer that supplies plants with phosphorus, usually in water-soluble phosphate forms. Phosphoric acid is a major industrial feedstock for phosphate fertilizers.
Phosphorus halides : Binary compounds of phosphorus and halogens, including phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus pentachloride. They contain phosphorus but lack the oxygen–hydrogen framework that defines oxyacids.
Oxidation state : A formal accounting value that describes an atom’s electron ownership in a compound. Phosphorus oxyacids span multiple oxidation states, which distinguish their families.
Phosphorous acid : An inorganic phosphorus oxyacid with formula H₃PO₃ and one hydrogen directly bonded to phosphorus. Its P–H bond leaves it diprotic despite its three hydrogen atoms.
Phosphorus pentoxide : A common name for phosphorus(V) oxide, chiefly P₄O₁₀, a strongly water-absorbing compound. Its hydration produces phosphoric and condensed phosphorus oxyacids.
Food additive : A substance added to food to affect properties such as acidity, preservation, or texture. Phosphoric acid is used as an acidity regulator in some foods and drinks.
Phosphine : A colorless, toxic phosphorus hydride with formula PH₃ and no oxygen atoms. It contrasts with oxyacids by being a phosphorus compound without oxygen or acidic O–H bonds.
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