Organic phosphates play an important role in metabolism. Microcosmic salt, used in certain bead tests in chemical analysis, is sodium ammonium phosphate. Various acid phosphates, e.g., those of calcium, magnesium, and sodium, are sometimes present in carbonated beverages. Other important inorganic phosphates include ammonium phosphate, important as a fertilizer trisodium phosphate, used in detergents and for softening water and disodium phosphate, used to some extent in medicine and in preparing baking powders. Since calcium phosphate is only slightly soluble in water, it is not very suitable as a source of the phosphorus necessary for plant life however, by treating it with sulfuric acid the soluble calcium acid phosphate known as superphosphate of lime is formed. It makes up the larger part of phosphate rock, a mineral that is abundantly distributed throughout the world.
The most important inorganic phosphate is calcium phosphate, Ca 3(PO 4) 2. Because replaceable hydrogens remain in monophosphates and diphosphates, they are sometimes called acid phosphates. Because phosphoric acid is tribasic (having three replaceable hydrogen atoms), it forms monophosphate, diphosphate, and triphosphate salts in which one, two, or three of the hydrogens of the acid are replaced, respectively. Phosphate, salt or ester of phosphoric acid, H 3PO 4.
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