phosphorus pentoxide

American  

[pen-tok-sahyd, -sid] / pɛnˈtɒk saɪd, -sɪd /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, deliquescent, crystalline powder, P 2 O 5 , that, depending upon the amount of water it absorbs, forms orthophosphoric acid, metaphosphoric acid, or pyrophosphoric acid, produced by the burning of phosphorus in dry air: used in the preparation of phosphoric acids, as a drying and dehydrating agent, and in organic synthesis.

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phosphorus pentoxide British  

noun

1. Also called: phosphoric anhydride.  a white odourless solid produced when phosphorus burns: has a strong affinity for water with which it forms phosphoric acids. Formula: P 2 O 5 (commonly existing as the dimer P 4 O 10 )

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Example Sentences

The phosphorus pentoxide used to produce phosphoric acid for cola soft drinks is prepared by burning phosphorus in oxygen.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Most artificial smokes, Miss Raskin explained, are made of fairly heavy materials such as phosphorus pentoxide or petroleum oils.

From Time Magazine Archive

It has no chemical action upon most gases, so that they can be very thoroughly dried by allowing them to pass through properly arranged vessels containing phosphorus pentoxide.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William

Phenol-2,4-disulphonic acid is prepared from o- or p-phenolsulphonic acid, whereas phenol-2,4,6-trisulphonic acid is prepared directly from phenol by heating with concentrated sulphuric acid in presence of phosphorus pentoxide.

From Synthetic Tannins by Grasser, Georg

This acid can be obtained by dissolving phosphorus pentoxide in boiling water, as represented in the equation P2O5 + 3H2O = 2H3PO4.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William