Phosphorus vs Sulfur

Side-by-side comparison of Phosphorus (P, element 15) and Sulfur (S, element 16) by atomic structure and physical properties.

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PropertyP Phosphorus S Sulfur
Atomic number1516
SymbolPS
NamePhosphorusSulfur
Categorynonmetalnonmetal
Standard Atomic Weight30.973762 u32.0675 u
Period33
Group1516
Blockpp
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Electron configuration[Ne]3s23p3[Ne]3s23p4
Oxidation states[-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5][-2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Electronegativity (Pauling)2.192.58
Electron affinity0.7466 eV2.0771 eV
Density1820 kg/m³2067 kg/m³
Melting point44.15 °C115.21 °C
Boiling point280.5 °C444.6 °C
Discovery year16691777

Key Differences

PropertyP PhosphorusS Sulfur
Standard Atomic Weight30.973762 u ↓ lower32.0675 u ↑ higher
Density1820 kg/m³ ↓ lower2067 kg/m³ ↑ higher
Melting point44.15 °C ↓ lower115.21 °C ↑ higher
Boiling point280.5 °C ↓ lower444.6 °C ↑ higher
Electronegativity (Pauling)2.19 ↓ lower2.58 ↑ higher
Electron affinity0.7466 eV ↓ lower2.0771 eV ↑ higher
Group15 16
Electron configuration[Ne]3s23p3 [Ne]3s23p4
Discovery year1669 1777