Potassium
chemical element
Alternative Titles:
K, kalium
Potassium (K), chemical element of Group 1 (Ia) of the periodic table, the alkali metal group, indispensable for both plant and animal life. Potassium was the first metal to be isolated by electrolysis, by the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy, when he obtained the element (1807) by decomposing molten potassium hydroxide (KOH) with a voltaic battery.
atomic number
19
atomic weight
39.098
melting point
63.28 °C (145.90 °F)
boiling point
760 °C (1,400 °F)
specific gravity
0.862 (at 20 °C, or 68 °F)
oxidation states
+1, −1 (rare)
electron configuration
2-8-8-1 or 1s22s22p63s23p64s1
Potassium metal is soft and white with …(100 of 1441 words)
