Allotropes of phosphorus Allotropes of phosphorus Elemental phosphorus can exist in several allotropes, the most common of which are white and red solids. Solid violet and black allotropes are also known. Gaseous phosphorus exists as diphosphorus and atomic phosphorus. White phosphorus, yellow phosphorus or simply tetraphosphorus (P) exists as molecules made up of four atoms in a tetrahedral structure. The tetrahedral arrangement results in ring strain and instability. The molecule is described as consisting of six single P–P bonds. Two different crystalline forms are known. The α form is defined as the standard state of the element, but is actually metastable under standard
Red-violet color is displayed at right and is identical to the web color medium violet red. By the 1970s, because of the advent of psychedelic art, artists became used to brighter pigments, and pigments called "purple" or "bright purple" that are the pigment equivalent of electric purple became available in artists pigments and colored pencils. Reproducing electric purple in pigment requires adding some white pigment and a small amount of blue pigment to red-violet pigment. Even then, the reproduction will not be exact because it is impossible for pigment colors to be so bright as colors displayed on a computer. At