Potassium Facts
Potassium Facts
|
| Interesting Potassium Facts: |
|---|
| Potassium is the seventh most abundant element on Earth. |
| It was first isolated by Sir Humphry Davy in 1807. |
| Potassium was the first elemental metal to be found through electrolysis. |
| It makes up roughly 1.5% by mass of the Earth's crust. |
| Potassium is not available in nature as a pure element. |
| In nature, it is only found in ionic salts and in some minerals. |
| It is created through the electrolysis of its hydroxide or its chloride. |
| Potassium is the second least dense metal after lithium. |
| Potassium is a soft metal and can very easily by sliced. |
| Argon or another suitable oil is used to store pure potassium, otherwise it will tarnish quickly. |
| Potassium usually burns in a reaction with water. |
| It reacts with the hydrogen in the water and generates enough heat to ignite the hydrogen. |
| Potassium also reacts with the oxygen in water and in air. |
| Its salts burn with a light purple color. |
| Because it is vital for plant cells, crops readily deplete potassium from the soil. |
| For this reason, one of the major industries to require potassium is the fertilizer industry. |
| Potassium has twenty-four known isotopes, but only three of them occur in nature. |
| The K-39 isotope is the most abundant of the three, making up more than 93% of the isotopes. |
| The term "potash" refers to potassium extracted from wood ash, and it was used in early times to make soap. |
| It is also common in the human body as the eighth most common element. |
| A depletion of potassium from the body can lead to hypokalemia, which can be fatal. |
|
Related Links: Facts Periodic Table Facts Animals Facts |