The Important Role Of Phosphorus In Medieval Chemistry

The word phosphorus is derives form the ancient Greek words phos, meaning light, and phorus meaning bringing. In nature, phosphorus occurs only in the oxidized form of phosphates, which are minerals in which each phosphorus atom is surrounded by four oxygens. In 1669, alchemy was medieval chemistry’s popular philosophy. It attempted to turn base metals into gold and searched for a mixture for lifetime. An alchemist from Hamburg, Germany, Hennig Brandt, fell onto phosphorus while heating residues of urine in his search for the philosopher’s stone. Originally, the philosopher’s stone was believed to be the chemical that changed base metals into silver or gold, also referred to as the power of projection. Kraft one of the followers of Brandt,
and while some scientists were researching it with a view to making pesticides to benefit human beings, others were secretly turning it into nerve gases, the better to destroy them....” These scientists, doctors and other people could only create medicines, pesticides, or bombs from phosphorus, by mixing other chemicals to it as well. And it means that these chemicals will go through to some sort of chemical bonding. For example, phosphorus and chlorine covalently bonds and produce Phosphorus Trichloride., with the balance equation of P4 (s) + 6 Cl2 (g) -----> 4 PCl3 (l). Phosphorus Trichloride is used in gasoline additives and textile finishing, and to make other chemicals, pesticides, dyestuffs, catalysts and
Its ability to burn was put to use in various ways down the ages, starting with phosphorus tapers and phosphorus matches.” In chemistry, striking a match starts a chemical reaction. In class, we studied different types of chemical reactions but in lighting a match, combustion reaction would be the appropriate factor in describing this reaction. A combustion reaction as described in the book, “it is a particular type of chemical reaction in which a substance combines with oxygen to form one or more oxygen-containing compounds that also emit heat.” Phosphorus is a non-metallic element, so when it burn in oxygen, acidic oxides will form. When a piece of phosphorus on an iron burning spoon is ignited by touching it with a hot wire, and it is put into a gas jar containing oxygen, it burns in the oxygen with an exceedingly brilliant white flame, producing a white cloud of phosphorus pentoxide, P2O5, which settles in flocks on the inside of the dry jar. The equation is: P4 + 5 O2 ==> 2 P2O5. For lighting phosphorus matches, another aspect of chemistry will be needed and that would be the friction. When a match is struck on the striking surface of its box, the friction caused by rubbing together creates enough heat to turn a very small amount of the red phosphorus into white phosphorus, which catches fire in air. This small amount of heat is enough to start a chemical reaction that uses