K
Potassium
Alkali MetalAtomic Number: 19 • Atomic Mass: 39.0980 u • Period: 4 • Group: 1
Electron Configuration: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s¹
Phase: Solid
Electronegativity: 0.82
Occurrence
Potassium is found in various natural sources, including minerals, rocks, and the Earth's crust.
- Never found free in nature due to its high reactivity
- Abundant in the Earth's crust (2.1% by weight)
- Found in minerals like sylvite (potassium chloride) and carnallite
- Present in seawater at approximately 380 mg/L
- Essential mineral for plant growth and living organisms