Potassium Short Form
Potassium short form is K+. The short name was derived from the Neo-Latin kalium.
Potassium is a chemical element with the symbol K, atomic number 19, and placed at metal in group 1 of the periodic table. The English chemist William Hyde Wollaston discovered this element in 1807. It could be extracted from the ashes of burned seaweed. The element was named after the English town of Kew from which it had been extracted.
Potassium is the most abundant metal in the human body. It is essential for nerve function, muscle contraction, and a healthy immune system. It has been shown to be an essential nutrient for the brain. In fact, a deficiency of potassium can lead to death.
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Potassium Properties
- soft and white with a silvery lustre
- low melting point
- good conductor of heat and electricity
- Potassium imparts a lavender colour to a flame
- its vapour is green.
- seventh most abundant element in Earth’s crust
- Density less than water
Usage of Potassium
Potassium is used in the treatment of many health conditions, including heart disease, epilepsy, kidney failure, and high blood pressure. An important application is in the treatment of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and obesity. In these conditions, the lack of potassium leads to a buildup of sodium in the body, leading to the symptoms. Potassium helps to ensure that water and sodium are properly distributed in the body.
Potassium exists in nature in the form of the mineral potash. Which is used as a fertilizer and is the source of the potassium found in some food. It also occurs in small amounts as a chemical component of many other minerals such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium and is essential in the human diet as a cofactor in energy metabolism and the maintenance of normal body fluids and acid-base balance. Potassium is the second most abundant mineral found in the human body after sodium. In the human body, potassium is found in the muscle and bone, and in the kidney, heart, liver, and brain.
