
Potassium (K) is a chemical element of the periodic table, located in group 1 and period 4, having the atomic number 19. It is a soft, silvery grey alkali metal whose name comes from the English word potash. It is the eighth-most abundant element on earth.
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– s block |
Potassium Applications (or Uses)
Here are the applications (or uses) of potassium:
- Potassium is used in fertilizers in the form of chloride
- Potassium is used as a bleaching agent in the textile industry and also used in the tanning of leather
- Potassium is used as a flavor enhancer in food, and it is also used as a preservative to prevent food from spoil
- Potassium is used as a medication to prevent or treat hypokalemia (low blood levels of potassium)
- Potassium is used as an oxidizing agent in gunpowder
- Potassium is used in color TV tubes and fluorescent lamps
- Potassium is used as a drying agent in laboratories
- Potassium is used in explosives, fireworks, and matches
- Potassium is used in the manufacture of glass, liquid soap, and detergent
- Potassium is used as a heat transfer medium
Potassium Facts
Here are the facts about potassium:
- Potassium is the seventh most abundant element in the human body
- Potassium was the first metal discovered by electrolysis
- Potassium is less dense than water, so it floats on water
- Potassium burns with a lilac-colored flame
- Potassium is the second least dense metal after lithium
FAQs on Potassium Element
Potassium |
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‣ What is the appearance of potassium? Appearance: silvery grey |
‣ When was potassium discovered and by whom? Discovery and first isolation: Humphry Davy (1807) |
‣ Where is potassium found on the periodic table?![]() Location: Potassium is found in the first column of the periodic table below the sodium element. |
‣ What is potassium’s atomic number? Atomic number (Z): 19 |
‣ What’s the symbol for potassium? Symbol: K |
‣ What is the atomic weight of potassium? Standard atomic weight: 39.0983 |
‣ Which block does potassium belong to? Block: s-block |
‣ What group does potassium belong to? Group: 1 (hydrogen and alkali metals) |
‣ Which period does potassium belong to? Period: 4 |
‣ What is potassium’s atomic radius? Atomic radius: empirical: 227 pm |
‣ Covalent radius of potassium: 203±12 pm |
‣ Van der Waals radius of potassium: 275 pm |
‣ What is potassium’s melting point? Melting point: 336.7 K (63.5 °C, 146.3 °F) |
‣ What is potassium’s boiling point? Boiling point: 1032 K (759 °C, 1398 °F) |
‣ Potassium critical point: 2223 K, 16 MPa |
‣ How many electron shells does potassium have? Electrons per shell: 2, 8, 8, 1 |
‣ What is potassium’s electron configuration? Electron configuration: [Ar] 4s1 |
‣ What is potassium ionization energy? Ionization energies: 1st: 418.8 kJ/mol 2nd: 3052 kJ/mol 3rd: 4420 kJ/mol |
‣ What is the phase of potassium? Phase (at r.t): solid |
‣ What is potassium’s density? Density (near r.t): 0.89 g/cm3 when liquid (at m.p): 0.828 g/cm3 |
‣ Potassium magnetic ordering: paramagnetic |
‣ Potassium natural occurrence: primordial |
‣ What is the oxidation state of potassium? Oxidation state: +1 |
‣ What is potassium’s electronegativity? Electronegativity: Pauling scale: 0.82 |
‣ Potassium heat of fusion: 2.33 kJ/mol |
‣ Potassium heat of vaporization: 76.9 kJ/mol |
‣ Potassium molar heat capacity: 29.6 J/(mol K) |
‣ Potassium molar magnetic susceptibility: +20.8 × 10-6 cm3/mol (298 K) |
‣ Speed of sound in potassium: 2000 m/s (at 20 °C) |
‣ What type of structure does potassium have? Crystal structure: body-centered cubic (bcc) |
‣ Thermal expansion of potassium: 83.3 µm/(m.K) (at 25 °C) |
‣ Thermal conductivity of potassium: 102.5 W/(m.K) |
‣ Potassium electrical resistivity: 72 nΩ.m (at 20 °C) |
‣ What is the hardness of potassium? Mohs hardness: 0.4 Brinell hardness: 0.363 MPa |
‣ Young’s modulus of potassium: 3.53 GPa |
‣ Shear modulus of potassium: 1.3 GPa |
‣ Bulk modulus of potassium: 3.1 GPa |
‣ Potassium CAS number: 7444-09-7 |
‣ How many isotopes does potassium have?
Main isotopes of potassium | ||||
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Isotope | Abundance | Half-life (t1/2) | Decay mode | Product |
39K | 93.258 % | stable | ||
40K | 0.012 % | 1.248 × 109 y | β– ε β+ | 40ca 40Ar 40Ar |
41K | 6.730 % | stable |
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