![]() It is also quite reactive with acids and many non-metals such as sulfur, chlorine, or nitrogen. Potassium reacts quite violently when mixed with water and lets off hydrogen gas as a byproduct of the reaction. Pure potassium is soft enough to cut with a knife. In its pure form it is a silver-white metal but it is most commonly found in minerals that look like pretty average, orange-brown rocks. It’s a solid at room temperature but the melting point is only about double the heat of a hot summer’s day. Potassium has a relatively low melting point for a metal. Potassium is necessary for human health, but like most parts of our diet, can be harmful in excess. It is a pretty good conductor of heat and electricity because it is a metal, but there are many other metals that are better conductors. In its pure form potassium is a shiny silver but when it oxidizes, it becomes a very dull graphite color. It corrodes readily and is especially susceptible to oxidation in air. It is never found in its pure form in nature, only in compound form, because it is so reactive like all alkali elements with similar electron configurations. Potassium is a soft metal that feels smooth to the touch. The alkali metals include other elements like lithium and sodium and they all tend to be very reactive and form strongly basic hydroxides. However, the “K” comes from the Latin word kalium which means alkali, referring to the fact that potassium is an alkali metal. Potassium’s symbol “K” might not seem very intuitive like a lot of other element symbols are. ![]() It can also be found in some fertilizers and it’s important for the production of certain soaps and detergents. Potassium is an essential nutrient for humans as well as an electrolyte, so it plays a big part in a lot of biological processes. It usually looks like a silvery-white powder or solid and is a very common element for a lot of reasons. Potassium is a solid alkali metal that is the 19 th element of the periodic table.
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