K

Potassium (Atomic Number 19)

Category: alkali | Period 4, Group 1 | Block: s

Essential alkali metal ion maintaining biological cell membrane potential.

Atomic & Physical Constants

Standard Atomic Weight:
39.09831 u
Standard State Phase:
Solid
Electron Configuration:
2, 8, 8, 1
Electronegativity (Pauling):
0.82
Melting Point:
336.7 K
Boiling Point:
1032 K

Historical Discovery & Real-World Applications

Industrial & Scientific Uses

Agricultural potash fertilizers, specialty soaps, glass production

Discovery History

Discovered by Humphry Davy (1807).

Study Potassium with Socratic AI Tutor

Get step-by-step orbital hybridization, oxidation state derivations, and reaction practice questions.

Ask AI Tutor →