It is classified as an alkali metal. Because potassium in its pure form reacts so quickly to the air, it must be stored … A compound of Potassium known as the Potassium Nitrate is used for explosives, gunpowder, and fireworks. Fast Facts: Potassium Potassium is element number 19. Potassium Nitrate contains Potassium, Oxygen, and Nitrogen. The question is, why will a Potassium atom want to give up the valence electron? The metal is very soft. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Did you know that Potassium is the 7th most abundant element in the human body? However, fewer than two percent of people in the U.S. … In this segment, we will learn about the physical and chemical properties of the element. 5. When Potassium reacts with Oxygen in air, it forms Potassium Peroxide. Potassium was discovered in the year 1807 by a British chemist known as Humphrey Davy. In these conditions, both physical and mental health are affected. He saw that he can easily break any substance … 66. Potassium chloride (KCl) is an alternative for people who are advised to decrease the intake of sodium chloride (salts in our diet). Its industrial uses as well as its nutritional value indicate how important potassium is in our life. Perhaps one of the most popular uses of Potassium is in the fertilizer industry. Potassium levels affect the fluid balance in the body by regulating the actions of the kidneys as they filter the blood and by promoting the movement of fluids both in and out of the cells. 23. 68. He instantly realized that Potash was not something that came only from plant growth. Fast facts on potassium Adults should be consuming 4,700 milligrams (mg) of potassium a day. Those tiny globules displayed a very distinctive metallic luster. It is the fact that Potassium levels can considerably impact the fluid balance in the body. Potassium ions are found in each and every cell of the human body as well as other organisms. The K-39 isotope is the most abundant of the three, making up more than 93% of the isotopes. That is what we use today. You can literally cut it using a knife. Potassium cannot react with various hydrocarbons like kerosene or mineral oils. It will not really try to get a negative charge by accepting an electron from another compound. Since it helps in maintaining the levels of calcium, it protects the bones from osteoporosis. It's true, and it's just one fun fact about potassium. Adequate Calcium Actually Fights, Not Promotes, Kidney Stones. 12. 31. Latin name Stannum, atomic number 50 ... we are talking about tin. It makes up about 2.4% of the weight of the Earth’s crust. 38. Chloride is an important mineral involved in the regulation of the body's electrolyte balance, acid-base balance, and also is essential for proper nerve and muscle function.Healthy individuals do not need to be concerned about obtaining enough chloride; when eating a … As it is very electropositive in nature, it reacts violently with water, causing eruptions. He proposed that the new element (yet not discovered) should be named as kali. It controls the movement inside cells and helps to pump fluids inside the nerves and heart. Alkali, in turn, is derived from ‘al-qalyah’ – an Arabic term which means ‘plant ashes’. We hope you are enjoying ScienceStruck! When the metal came in contact with the acid, it burned, yielding a bright flame that was red in color. Our bodies are complex in nature, requiring the maintenance of its delicate chemical balance. The chemical symbol of this element is K and is derived from the Latin word kalium. Plant Deficiency Potassium is important nutritionally long before it ever makes its way into your body. These uncertainty values represent one standard deviation. Potassium is considered chemically similar to sodium, the alkali metal above it on the periodic table. Potassium compounds are used as fertilizers in both agriculture and horticulture. However, when the two are combined to form an alloy, the resulting alloy is liquid at room temperature. Fact 1: Potassium is an alkali metal, meaning it is silver-colored and soft enough to be cut by a knife. To his astonishment, Davy found that it reacted violently. He saw that he can easily break any substance into their individual elements or building blocks using electricity. Interesting Fun Facts Potassium is a soft solid and can be cut with a knife! The water that Hydrogen forms by reacting with Oxygen in the atmosphere react back with the rest of the Potassium. Potassium, usually found dissolved in seawater or plant cells, is extremely important for the normal functioning of the human body. Interesting Facts aboutPotassium. He suggested that the symbol should be K. 25. Potassium is important for the proper cell, tissue, and organ function. It plays an essential role in brain and nerve function and heart activity. Since there is only one electron in the outermost shell of the atom, a Potassium atom is more likely to give it up to get a positive charge during a chemical reaction. Dietary sources of potassium include nuts, avocados, citrus fruits, bananas, watermelon, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, greens, spinach, soy products, seafood, meat, and potassium-rich supplements. Even so, potassium is very common, being the 7th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Fascinating facts about helium go well beyond its physical and chemical properties, and its use in balloons as well. http://images-of-elements.com/potassium.php, 95 Interesting Cell Nucleus Facts for Your School Homework. Klaproth discovered Potash in those two minerals. 58. The color is dependent on the concentration of Potassium in ammonia. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Lithium is the least dense one. Copyright © Science Struck & Buzzle.com, Inc. Neutral atoms of Potassium (that is, stable isotopes) have a total of 19 electrons each. This means the atomic number of potassium is 19 and each potassium atom has 19 protons. Potassium is in fact used in industrial items such as glass, fertilizers, gunpowder, soap, drugs or … It is an important component for balancing the pH of the body. The method involved placing ash created by burning tree leaves or burnt wood in a pot. It is a test in which chemists will burn a substance to detect the presence of elements. 40K – the radioactive isotope of Potassium gradually decays into 40Ar (the stable isotope of Argon) and 40Ca (the stable isotope of Calcium). The result of this experiment was that Potassium was isolated for the very first time. 67. Unfortunately, when Potassium comes in contact with water, it explodes violently. 54. The 19th element of the Period Table, Potassium is one of the most important elements necessary for life. It is also common in the human body as the eighth most common element. At a temperature of 0˚C, Potassium can quickly dissolve in liquid ammonia. 10. Argon (the most stable noble gas in the world) has 18 electrons in each atom. It is vital to every cell in your body, actually, and plays a big part in muscle development and use. Below are some more interesting facts about potassium. 39. Humphry Davy was not the only person conducting the experiment. This move aims to create a separate website that is not related to studies and provides only interesting stuff! Bananas are a good place to start when discussing potassium. It helps the kidneys in their waste removal process, decreasing the amount of calcium excreted in urine, and minimizing the risk of kidney stones. In 1806, Davy found out something truly fascinating. The first thing he noted was that the density of the element was extremely low. Later, the countries speaking French and English went on to adopt the name Potassium that was given by Gay-Lussac/Thénard and Davy. Now that we have learned about the physical properties of Potassium, let us take a look at the chemical properties of Potassium. 11. 6. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 34. This means that the element is actually essential for life. The potassium content of muscle tissue is approximately 0.3 percent, whereas that of blood serum is about 0.01–0.02 percent. © 2020 | Facts Legend | A Unit of Akṣa Ventures. Number of Neutrons (as found in the most abundant isotope). In human beings, it promotes the well-being of both physical and mental processes. Why? Potassium is among the most essential nutrients required by the human body. When Potassium and water come together, they form Potassium Hydroxide. 13. Its atomic number is 19, and its atomic mass is 39.0983. What happens during the reaction between Potassium and water? 9. When you drop a piece of Potassium in water, it will react with the Oxygen present in water. Doctors give trusted answers on uses, effects, side-effects, and cautions: Dr. Naguib on fun facts about potassium: Some blood pressure medications can cause elevation of the potassium level (ace inhibitors), problems with kidney function, certain hormonal problems, or if the blood cells rupture in the tube after the blood is drawn. 49. However, the metal will become dull and greyish as soon as it comes in contact with air. 21. It reacts violently with water, causing eruptions. Low potassium in the body is called hypokalemia. Potassium, the most abundant intracellular cation, is an essential nutrient that is naturally present in many foods and available as a dietary supplement. Read this Buzzle article to know more about this metallic-based chemical element. It is necessary, according to the RSC, the agricultural lands from which harvests are taken each year, require Potassium replenishment after each harvest. Humphry Davy was ecstatic and according to Edmund, when Humphry Davy saw the Potassium globules bursting out through the crust of the Potash, he started dancing. The human body is roughly.2% potassium, and while this number may seem negligible, that makes K one of the ten most common elements in the body. Potassium is responsible for maintaining electrolyte and fluid balance. People would then add water into the pot. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The only part of the body that has no blood supply is the cornea of the eye. Between birth and death, the human body goes from having 300 bones, to just 206. We said that Potassium reacts violently with water. 45. (*): Value in parentheses [such as (1)] after the last digit represents uncertainties in a concise form. So, without further ado, let us begin. Anyway, in this article on Potassium facts, we will walk you through a lot of things like the discovery of the element, characteristics, uses and more. It was the very first metal that was isolated by the process of electrolysis. Read this Buzzle article to know more about this metallic-based chemical element. Potassium and its close periodic table neighbor sodium are solids at room temperature. Once our new domain is ready and the articles are published, we will formally launch the new site. What is an exothermic reaction? Magnetism isn't just that fancy little pulling force which attracts iron objects, it's probably the biggest force keeping us alive. 28. Read this ScienceStruck article for some interesting facts about tin. In general, the NaK alloy contains anywhere between 40% and 90% Potassium. 64. It was discovered by Sir Humphry Davy in 1807. Potassium atoms have 19 electrons and 19 protons with one valence electron in the outer shell. The Hydrogen that is released reacts back with Oxygen present in the atmosphere. It is important to heart health, lowering blood pressure, relaxing arteries and muscles, and even good for helping to treat constipation. 26. Potassium ions in cells are cations (a positively charged ions). 53. 55. It will want to achieve the stability of a noble gas such as Argon. Interesting Facts On Potassium. Symptoms include muscle cramps, weakness and irregular heartbeat, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. According to The National Academy of Sciences (Denver), an intake of 3,500 mg to 4,700 mg of potassium is required per day. 65 Calcium Facts Every Person Should Know! 8. Potassium is regarded as an electrolyte widely found in food. (4) Just a few days after isolating potassium, Davy isolated sodium for the first time using the same method. This ratio gives a clear idea of how old the rock is. Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox. #: Data not derived from pure experimental data but partly derived from systematic trends. When Potassium is dissolved in ammonia, the color of the resulting solution can be yellow or blue. Because of its high reactivity, potassium … Potassium is an element and one of the most essential. 27. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 1. He dropped some Potassium into oil only to see that it started floating! When Potassium came in contact with water, there was an instantaneous explosion. 56. Let us begin. Because 40K has a half-life of 1.25 billion years, it is used for dating rocks that are extremely old. 18. Potassium is among the most essential nutrients required by the human body. Potassium is one of the alkali metals, which means it is a highly reactive metal with a valence of 1. 17. 43. Sir Humphry Davy then decided to drop a piece of Potassium into the water. Roughly 98% of the potassium in … It is an electrolyte, which means it conducts electricity in the body along with manganese, calcium, chloride, and sodium. It was discovered by Sir Humphry Davy in 1807. Humphry Davy observed quite a few things about Potassium. They will observe the color of the flame. 16. 6789 Quail Hill Pkwy, Suite 211 Irvine CA 92603. Interesting Facts About Potassium. Such neurotoxins can lead to extreme pains, or in worst case scenarios, lead to death. Would you like to write for us? Physical symptoms are muscle damage, cardiovascular irregularities, kidney and lung failure, weak bones, and fatigue. There are around 140 grams of Potassium stored in all cells of the human body. Interesting Facts About Tin That are Sure to Astound You, We Bet You Didn't Know These Fun and Interesting Facts About Magnets, Interesting Facts About Helium That You Shouldn't Miss, Production of potassium bromide, which is an essential chemical used in photography, Production of potassium hydroxide to make detergents. Our site includes quite a bit of content, so if you're having an issue finding what you're looking for, go on ahead and use that search feature there! 29. 42. 35. KO2 is an orange solid and it is usually used in respiration systems of mines, spacecraft, and submarines. Without potassium many parts of your body would not be able to function, but you want to be careful not to consume too much of this element. Potassium reacts with Oxygen in water and releases Hydrogen. Potassium is the 7th most abundant element found in the crust of the Earth (according to the Royal Society of Chemistry). By using our website, you agree to the cookie and privacy policy of Facts Legend. Related Articles. Get in touch with us and we'll talk... Potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal. Beyond Bananas. 60. Simple! It is an electrolyte and as such is very important to nerve function. Potassium Hydroxide – yet another compound of Potassium is used for dish wash soap and detergent making. He then electrolyzed the substance by using three large batteries that he himself had built. As a matter of fact, the element is found in all living organisms on this planet. 61. Klaproth understood that Potash contained a completely new element. They would then heat and evaporate the solution to get various Potassium salts. The International Union of Physical and Applied Chemistry has something called ‘Gold Book’. Did you know that absence of Potassium in the human body will make our body dysfunctional? 57. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Potassium sorbate is actually the salt of sorbic acid used in many commercial products for its purported yeast haltering action. The commercial-grade NaK alloy that contains 22% Na and 78% K has the ability to remaining liquid at a temperature of -12.6˚C or 9.3˚F. 65. If Potassium did not react with water, it would easily float on water. Its name is derived from the English word ‘potash’, which means an alkali extracted from the ash of burnt wood or tree leaves. Since Potassium is extremely sensitive towards both Oxygen and water, the only way to make Potassium react with some other element is to conduct the reactions in an inert atmosphere (such as inside a chamber filled with Argon and absolutely no Oxygen). Potassium compounds are only in one oxidation state: +1.Potassium ions are colorless and similar to sodium ions. Potassium, usually found dissolved in seawater or plant cells, is extremely important for the normal functioning of the human body. The easiest way of replenishment is that of adding fertilizers that are Potassium-based. According to Edmund, the moment in which Humphry Davy succeeded in isolating Potassium was his ‘Eureka’ moment! Potassium metal rarely is used for anything, because sodium will do the same things potassium will do and sodium is a lot cheaper. 50. The potassium salts are mined in Germany and the USA. Now that we have all the basic information in hand, we can proceed with the Potassium facts. The symbol that we use for denoting Potassium is K. 19. Plants need potassium to thrive and a plant with a potassium deficiency is just as sickly as a … Most of the Potassium atoms that are found in the universe came from Supernova explosions. 30. 69. 40. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 36. Potassium is used to make the following products: It is vital for all animal and plant life. KO2 – Potassium Superoxide – is used for releasing Oxygen by absorbing Carbon Dioxide. Four years later in 1809, a new name for Potassium was proposed by Ludwig Wilhelm Gilbert. Your body doesn’t produce calcium. It is a type of reaction in which heat is released. When the shells of large stars explode in a Supernova explosion, Oxygen burns to make Potassium. The method in which Potassium is produced in stars is not really a normal burning but nonetheless, it is nuclear fusion reaction which leads to explosive burning of Oxygen that churns out Potassium. However, the element has a very weird symbol. The symbol is derived from the term ‘kali.’ Kali is in turn derived from ‘alkali’. In 1807, Humphry Davy isolated Potassium using electrolysis. 51. Potassium in different food sources is known to be quite rich. In 1806, Davy found out something truly fascinating. The name ‘kali’ has an interesting story associated with it. Mental symptoms include a slower cognitive process, insomnia, anorexia, various nervous disorders, etc. A white crystalline salt of Potassium known as Potassium Bromide is widely used in photography and medicinal products. In that book, the name ‘Potassium’ has been selected while the symbol ‘K’ has been selected. There are health hazards in consuming both excess or deficient amount of potassium, leading to hyperkalemia (high levels of potassium) or hypokalemia (low levels of potassium), respectively. If you are having troubles sleeping, eat bananas. It does not occur in a free state in nature but it is an important part of many chemical compounds. University of Maryland Medical Center says that Hypokalemia is associated with a number of symptoms that include: 59. Along with potassium sorbate, McCombs recommends avoiding all sugars and carbohydrates as they feed candida helping them to grow throughout the body and create serious medical conditions. We use cookies to improve user experience and serve interest-based ads through our advertisement partner. 24. ... we should increase our intake of foods containing potassium to maintain a proper chemical balance in the body; A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts should give you the required amount of potassium; Potassium is lost when processing and canning foods; Both Potassium (K) and Sodium (Na) are solid at room temperature. Just like what is stated above, potassium is used in a lot of things making it a very important element for all of us. 46. It melts at the temperature of 336.8 K and boils at 1047.15 K. Even though this element is the seventh most abundantly found element, it is difficult to obtain it from its minerals. 32. The element Potassium was first discovered by Sir Humphry Davy in the year 1807. Maintaining the right balance of potassium in the body depends on the intake of a healthy diet. Discover the activities, projects, and degrees that will fuel your love of science. The potassium content of plants varies considerably, though it is ordinarily in the range of 0.5–2 percent of the dry weight. 41. Albeit, we will not go too deep but we will mention all important properties. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Interesting Facts On Potassium. So, Potassium has one more electron – known as the valence electron. These cookies do not store any personal information. It is found in a concentrated form in fruits. It receives oxygen … Potassium was the first metal to be isolated by the process of electrolysis. Following these two observations, Davy dropped a piece of the metal into HCL or Hydrochloric Acid. 62. 15. Potassium chloride can be used as a substitute for table salt.

interesting facts about potassium in the body

Smirnoff Ice Deutschland, Qsc Kla12 Rigging, Retrieving Progressive Quote, Eden Bodyworks Deep Conditioner, Lenovo Ideapad 320-17ikb Screen Replacement, Ataulfo Mango Recipes,
interesting facts about potassium in the body 2020