The element phosphorus is located to the right of the element magnesium along the same period in the periodic table.

Question

Which best describes the relationship of the elements?

Magnesium has a larger atomic number.
Phosphorus has a larger atomic mass.
Magnesium is in the same category as phosphorus.
Phosphorus has similar chemical properties as magnesium.

Answer 1

To analyze the relationship between phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg):

1. Atomic Number: Magnesium has an atomic number of 12, while phosphorus has an atomic number of 15. Thus, magnesium does not have a larger atomic number.

2. Atomic Mass: Phosphorus has an atomic mass of about 30.97 u, while magnesium has an atomic mass of about 24.31 u. Therefore, phosphorus has a larger atomic mass.

3. Category: Magnesium is a metal (specifically an alkaline earth metal), whereas phosphorus is a non-metal (specifically a non-metal). Thus, they are not in the same category.

4. Chemical Properties: Phosphorus and magnesium do not have similar chemical properties; they belong to different groups on the periodic table, which typically indicates different chemical behaviors.

Based on this analysis, the best description of the relationship between phosphorus and magnesium is “Phosphorus has a larger atomic mass.”