James

**Potassium**

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**History:**
Potassium was discovered in 1807 by Sir Humphrey Davy who also discovered sodium with the same experiment. The experiment that he used was passing electric currents through molten potash and discovered the element potassium. The same experiment was used to discover sodium. Potassium was Davy's first metal discovery. It gets its name from the word potash which is how Davy discovered the element.

**Quick Facts:**
Potassium is the most abundant metal on the earth making up 2.4%, in weight, of the earth's crust. This shows that it is not rare, but rather quite common. Potassium can never be found free in nature but only by the same experiment that Sir Humphrey Davy performed himself to discover the element. Most of the minerals that potassium can be found in can not be dissolved thereby making it extremely hard to obtain. Seventeen isotopes are known to exist, but regular potassium has only been found in three isotopes. Some isotopes are radioactive but are rare. Metallic potassium can actually be bought for about 40$ a pound.

**Properties:**
Potassium is one of the most reactive metals because it is toward the bottom of the alkali metals. This means that it only has one valence electron and is dying to get rid of it. It its pure stage it has a silvery white shade. Both of the potassium examples i nthe pictures are different colors becaue potassium bonded or reacted with different substances. It is the second lightest known metal. Potassium's boiling point is 1032K (1398 F), and its melting point is 336.53K (146 F) It is a soft metal and can easily be cut by a knife, kind of life butter. Potassium quickly combines with oxygen when left out in the open, but can be contained and preserved in mineral oil. Just like the other elements in Potassium's group, it decomposes in water because of the hydrogen, which it also loves to bond with. It is found as a solid in the earth.



**Use:**
Potassium cations are important for neuron brain functions. This means that when Potassium combines with certain materials it can do all sorts of things. A Potassium cation is also important in all muscle contractions in your body, like the muscles that contract your stomach. Potassium is a major cation in animal cells, and is important to keeping a balance of fluids in your body. It is also in medications that help clear a person's nose. These are the uses it has on the human body. Here is everything else it can do. Potassium can also be found in many soaps to help your body stay clean. It is in any kind of glassware, matches, and explosives. This is a very large range of uses.



**Periodic Placement:**
Potassium's symbol is K and has the atomice number of 19. It is in group 1A (also the Alkali metals) and in the fourth period or row. This obviously means that it is a metal.

**Jing Podcast:**
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References:
www.germes-online.com/ http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/potassium-000320.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele019.html http://www.webelements.com/potassium/history.html http://www.trivia-library.com/ http://www.corrosionsource.com/handbook/periodic/19.htm**
 * [|liboxgoa.googlepages.com/ potassiumpermanganate]

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