Potassium was discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1807 in England. Potassium was the first metal that was isolated by electrolysis. Potassium in nature occurs only in ionic salts.
Name: Potassium
Symbol: K
Atomic number: 19
Atomic weight: 39.098
State: solid
Group, period, block: 1, 4, s
Color: silvery gray
Classification: alkali metal
Electron configuration: 4s1
2,8,8,1
Physical properties
Density: 0.862 g/cm-3
Melting point: 336.53 K, 63.38 °C, 146.08 °F
Boiling point: 1032 K, 759 °C, 1398 °F
Atomic properties
Oxidation states: 1
Electronegativity: 0.82 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies: 1st: 418.8 kJ·mol-1
Covalent radius: 203±12 pm
Van der Waals radius: 275 pm
- K
Electron Configuration
Isotopes
There are three naturally occurring isotopes of potassium exist, 39K, 40K and 41K.
40K is radioactive isotope.