Although

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...

(₁₅P) has 23

isotope Isotopes are two or more types of atoms that have the same atomic number (number of protons in their nuclei) and position in the periodic table (and hence belong to the same chemical element), and that differ in nucleon numbers (mass numb ...

s from ²⁵P to ⁴⁷P, only ³¹P is stable; as such, phosphorus is considered a

monoisotopic element A monoisotopic element is an element which has only a single stable isotope (nuclide). There are only 26 elements that have this property. A list is given in a following section. Stability is experimentally defined for chemical elements, as ther ...

. The longest-lived

radioactive isotopes A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ways: emitted from the nucleus as gamma radiation; transferr ...

are ³³P with a half-life of 25.34 days and ³²P with a half-life of 14.268 days. All others have half-lives of under 2.5 minutes, most under a second. The least stable is ²⁵P with a half-life shorter than 30 nanoseconds.

List of isotopes

, - , rowspan=3, ²⁴P?The existence of this isotope has not been experimentally confirmed; given data is inferred or estimated from periodic trends. , rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" , 9 , rowspan=3, 24.03652(54)# , rowspan=3, , p? , ²³Si , rowspan=3, 1+# , rowspan=3, , rowspan=3, , - , β⁺? , ²⁴Si , - , β⁺, p? , ²³Al , - , ²⁵P? , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 10 , 25.02119(43)# , <30 ns , p? , ²⁴Si , (1/2+)# , , , - , rowspan=2, ²⁶PHas 1

halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

proton , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 11 , rowspan=2, 26.01178(21)# , rowspan=2, 43.7(6) ms , β⁺ (63.2%) , ²⁶Si , rowspan=2, (3+) , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , - , β⁺, p (36.8%) , ²⁵Al , - , style="text-indent:1em", ^26mP , colspan=3 style="text-indent:2em", 164.4(1) keV , 120(9) ns , IT , ²⁶P , , , , - , rowspan=2, ²⁷P , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 12 , rowspan=2, 26.999224(28) , rowspan=2, 260(80) ms , β⁺ (99.93%) , ²⁷Si , rowspan=2, 1/2+ , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , - , β⁺, p (.07%) , ²⁶Al , - , rowspan=3, ²⁸P , rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" , 13 , rowspan=3, 27.9923266(12) , rowspan=3, 270.3(5) ms , β⁺ (99.99%) , ²⁸Si , rowspan=3, 3+ , rowspan=3, , rowspan=3, , - , β⁺, p (.0013%) , ²⁷Al , - , β⁺, α (8.6×10⁻⁴%) , ²⁴Mg , - , ²⁹P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 14 , 28.9818004(4) , 4.142(15) s , β⁺ , ²⁹Si , 1/2+ , , , - , ³⁰P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 15 , 29.97831349(7) , 2.498(4) min , β⁺ , ³⁰Si , 1+ , , , - , ³¹P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 16 , 30.9737619986(7) , colspan=3 align=center, Stable , 1/2+ , 1.0000 , , - , ³²P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 17 , 31.97390764(4) , 14.268(5) d , β⁻ , ³²S , 1+ ,

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, , - , ³³P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 18 , 32.9717257(12) , 25.35(11) d , β⁻ , ³³S , 1/2+ , , , - , ³⁴P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 19 , 33.9736459(9) , 12.43(10) s , β⁻ , ³⁴S , 1+ , , , - , ³⁵P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 20 , 34.9733141(20) , 47.3(8) s , β⁻ , ³⁵S , 1/2+ , , , - , ³⁶P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 21 , 35.978260(14) , 5.6(3) s , β⁻ , ³⁶S , 4− , , , - , ³⁷P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 22 , 36.97961(4) , 2.31(13) s , β⁻ , ³⁷S , (1/2+) , , , - , rowspan=2, ³⁸P , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 23 , rowspan=2, 37.98430(8) , rowspan=2, 0.64(14) s , β⁻ (87.5%) , ³⁸S , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , - , β⁻, n (12.5%) , ³⁷S , - , rowspan=2, ³⁹P , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 24 , rowspan=2, 38.98629(12) , rowspan=2, 282(24) ms , β⁻ (73.2%) , ³⁹S , rowspan=2, 1/2+# , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , - , β⁻, n (26.8%) , ³⁸S , - , rowspan=2, ⁴⁰P , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 25 , rowspan=2, 39.99129(16) , rowspan=2, 150(8) ms , β⁻ (84.2%) , ⁴⁰S , rowspan=2, (2−,3−) , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , - , β⁻, n (15.8%) , ³⁹S , - , rowspan=2, ⁴¹P , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 26 , rowspan=2, 40.99465(13) , rowspan=2, 101(5) ms , β⁻ (70%) , ⁴¹S , rowspan=2, 1/2+# , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , - , β⁻, n (30%) , ⁴⁰S , - , rowspan=2, ⁴²P , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 27 , rowspan=2, 42.00108(34) , rowspan=2, 48.5(15) ms , β⁻ (50%) , ⁴²S , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , - , β⁻, n (50%) , ⁴¹S , - , rowspan=2, ⁴³P , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 15 , rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" , 28 , rowspan=2, 43.00502(60) , rowspan=2, 35.8(13) ms , β⁻, n , ⁴²S , rowspan=2, 1/2+# , rowspan=2, , rowspan=2, , - , β⁻ , ⁴³S , - , ⁴⁴P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 29 , 44.01122(54)# , 18.5(25) ms , β⁻ , ⁴⁴S , , , , - , ⁴⁵P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 30 , 45.01675(54)# , 8# ms 200 ns, β⁻ , ⁴⁵S , 1/2+# , , , - , ⁴⁶P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 31 , 46.02466(75)# , 4# ms 200 ns, β⁻ , ⁴⁶S , , , , - , ⁴⁷P , style="text-align:right" , 15 , style="text-align:right" , 32 , 47.03190(86)# , 2# ms , β⁻ , ⁴⁷S , , ,

Radioactive isotopes

Phosphorus-32

³²P, a beta-emitter (1.71 MeV) with a

half-life Half-life (symbol ) is the time required for a quantity (of substance) to reduce to half of its initial value. The term is commonly used in nuclear physics to describe how quickly unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay or how long stable at ...

of 14.3 days, is used routinely in life-science laboratories, primarily to produce

radiolabel A radioactive tracer, radiotracer, or radioactive label is a chemical compound in which one or more atoms have been replaced by a radionuclide so by virtue of its radioactive decay it can be used to explore the mechanism of chemical reactions by tr ...

ed DNA and RNA probes, ''e.g.'' for use in

Northern blot The northern blot, or RNA blot,Gilbert, S. F. (2000) Developmental Biology, 6th Ed. Sunderland MA, Sinauer Associates. is a technique used in molecular biology research to study gene expression by detection of RNA (or isolated mRNA) in a sample ...

s or Southern blots. Because the high-energy beta particles produced penetrate

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...

and

cornea The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical ...

s, and because any ³²P ingested, inhaled, or absorbed is readily incorporated into

bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...

and nucleic acids,

OSHA OSHA or Osha may refer to: Work * Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a federal agency of the United States that regulates workplace safety and health * Occupational Safety and Health Act (United States) of 1970, a federal law in the Un ...

requires that a

lab coat A white coat, also known as a laboratory coat or lab coat, is a knee-length overcoat or smock worn by professionals in the medical field or by those involved in laboratory work. The coat protects their street clothes and also serves as a simpl ...

, disposable gloves, and

safety glasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples or ...

goggles Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...

be worn when working with ³²P, and that working directly over an open container be avoided in order to protect the eyes.

Monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West ...

ing personal, clothing, and surface contamination is also required. In addition, due to the high energy of the beta particles, shielding this radiation with the normally used dense materials (''e.g.''

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

), gives rise to secondary emission of

X-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

s via a process known as

bremsstrahlung ''Bremsstrahlung'' (), from "to brake" and "radiation"; i.e., "braking radiation" or "deceleration radiation", is electromagnetic radiation produced by the deceleration of a charged particle when deflected by another charged particle, typicall ...

, meaning braking radiation. Therefore, shielding must be accomplished with low-density materials, ''e.g.''

Plexiglas Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite ...

Lucite Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

, or

water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

Phosphorus-33

³³P, a beta-emitter (0.25 MeV) with a half-life of 25.4 days. It is used in life-science laboratories in applications in which lower energy beta emissions are advantageous such as DNA sequencing. ³³P can be used to label nucleotides. It is less energetic than ³²P, giving a better resolution. A disadvantage is its higher cost compared to ³²P, as most of the bombarded ³¹P will have acquired only one neutron, while only some will have acquired two or more. Its maximum specific activity is 5118 Ci/mol.

External links

Phosphorus isotopes data from ''The Berkeley Laboratory Isotopes Project's''

References

{{Navbox element isotopes Phosphorus

Phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...