what family is phosphorus in
Overview. Phosphorus is found in Group 15 (VA) of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that that shows how chemical elements are related to each other. Phosphorus is part of the nitrogen family along with nitrogen, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth. Phosphorus was first discovered in 1669 by German physician Hennig Brand (ca. 1630-92). Brand is somewhat famous in chemistry.
1 Nitrogen family elements often form covalent compounds, usually with the oxidation numbers +3 or +5. 2  Nitrogen and phosphorus are nonmetals. 3  Arsenic and antimony are metalloids. 4  Bismuth is a metal.