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Answer: Potassium has the chemical symbol K and the atomic number 19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that may be sliced with a knife with minimal effort. Potassium metal interacts with ambient oxygen in seconds to generate flaky white potassium peroxide.
It was initially separated from potash, or plant ashes, from whence it gets its name. Potassium is an alkali metal in the periodic table, which contains valence electrons. It is in the outer electron shell that can be easily removed to produce an ion with a positive charge – a cation – that mixes with anions to form salts.
Only ionic salts include potassium in nature. Elemental potassium combines vigorously with water, producing enough heat to ignite the hydrogen generated and emitting a lilac-coloured flame. It is found dissolved in seawater (which contains 0.04 per cent potassium by weight) and in numerous minerals, including orthoclase, a typical ingredient of granites and other igneous rocks.
The metal has the formula K, but the ion has K+. When we say ‘potassium metal,’ we don’t mean a solitary atom but rather a collection of K atoms joined together by a metallic bonding.
Potassium ions are required for all live cells to operate properly. Potassium ion transport across nerve cell membranes is necessary for appropriate nerve transmission; potassium deficit and excess can cause various indications and symptoms, including an irregular heart rhythm and different electrocardiographic abnormalities. Potassium is abundant in fresh fruits and vegetables.
The body responds to increased blood potassium levels caused by dietary potassium by shifting potassium from outside to cell’s inside and increasing potassium excretion through the kidneys.
