phosphine

Definitions

Examples

• Astronomers studying the clouds of Venus announced the discovery of trace amounts of phosphine, which on Earth is belched out by volcanoes and some organisms.

• The team used computer models to explore all other mechanisms that might produce phosphine in Venus’s harsh environment and came up empty.

• On Earth, phosphine is a chemical produced by some kinds of bacteria that live in oxygen-poor conditions.

• If Venus’ spectrum could be drawn as a straight line across all wavelengths of light, phosphine would make a deep valley at that wavelength.

• The chances of detecting phosphine on that flyby are still slim, but not zero.

• Under the name of “phosphine” this colouring-matter is still used, especially for the dyeing of leather.

• Give the formula for the salt which phosphine forms with hydriodic acid.

• Absence of change shows phosphine, quinoline yellow, or a natural dye-stuff.

• The acetylene prepared from this substance has a very characteristic odor due to impurities, the chief of these being phosphine.

• Extremely dangerous explosive mixtures may be made by combining phosphine and air or oxygen.