What does phosphorus mean?
Word: Phosphorus
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Phosphorus means a chemical element found in bones, teeth and many rocks; one form of it gives off a faint glow in the dark.
How do you spell phosphorus?
Syllables: phos - pho - rus
Tricky part: The name of the element ends in us with no o before the u, even though so many long science words end in ous.
Watch out for: phosforus, fosforus
Memory tip: Picture a walrus glowing in the dark: phosphorus and walrus end in exactly the same two letters.
Phosphorus in a sentence
Example 1: Cheese, nuts and fish are all good sources of phosphorus.
Example 2: Our chemistry teacher wrote the symbol P on the board for phosphorus.
Example 3: Milk gives growing children both calcium and phosphorus.
Fun Fact
The name comes from Greek words meaning 'bringer of light', which suited a substance that glowed in the dark when the German Hennig Brand first made it in 1669.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. calcium 2. magnesium 3. sulphur 4. phosporus
a) a yellow non-metal with a strong smell when burnt
b) a non-metal used on the striking strip of a matchbox
c) a soft silvery metal found in chalk and milk
d) a light metal that burns with a dazzling white flame
Show answer
b) a non-metal used on the striking strip of a matchbox. This element has ph twice, not once; magnesium, sulphur and calcium are fine.
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:
The label on the fertiliser sack says it is rich in ropsuhpohs.
a) polystyrene
b) potassium
c) phosphate
d) phosphorus
Show answer
d) phosphorus. Phosphate has an a and a t that the jumble lacks, and potassium and polystyrene do not fit its letters either.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
ph_sph_rus
a) a, o
b) o, o
c) o, e
d) o, a
Show answer
b) o, o. Both gaps take the same vowel, the o of hot and then a weak o.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
phosphorrus
a) o
b) h
c) s
d) r
Show answer
d) r. One r is all this word needs.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. On the periodic table, phosphorus belongs among the ____.
a) alkali metals
b) non-metals
c) noble gases
d) precious metals
Show answer
b) non-metals
2. A farmer adds phosphorus to the soil mainly to ____.
a) stop birds from eating the seed
b) help crops develop healthy roots
c) keep water from draining away
d) turn the soil a darker colour
Show answer
b) help crops develop healthy roots
