potassium

po·tas·si·um

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Potassium

noun

The definition of potassium is an alkali metal.

Facts About Potassium

Its symbol is K, which is Latin for kalium.
It has an atomic number of 19.
Potassium reacts violently to water which makes hydrogen. During the process, there is enough heat generated to ignite the hydrogen.
Before the 19th century, it was thought that sodium and potassium were the same.
In nature, potassium is found in ionic salts, just like sodium.
It is a very soft, light silvered colored metal that tarnishes quickly in air into a gray color.
When it is burned, the flame is a light purple.
Most of the potassium produced in the world is used by the fertilizer industry.
It helps the nerves and muscles do their job, to maintain the proper acid-base balance, and can lower blood pressure.
Some medications interfere in potassium levels including ACE inhibitors, Heparin, Bactrim or Septra, Cyclosporine, Beta Blockers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs.

An example of potassium is the mineral found in dried apricots and raisins.

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"potassium." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM>.

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potassium. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM

potassium

a soft, silver-white, waxlike metallic chemical element, one of the alkali metals, that oxidizes rapidly when exposed to air: it occurs abundantly in nature in the form of its salts, which are used in fertilizers, glass, etc.: symbol, K; at. no. 19

Origin of potassium

ModL: so named from potassa from Dutch potasch, potash, by Sir Humphry Davy, who first isolated it from potash

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"potassium." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM>.

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potassium. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM

potassium

noun

A soft, silver-white, extremely reactive element that is an alkali metal, is essential to plant and animal cell functions, and occurs in nature only in compounds. It can be obtained by electrolysis of its hydroxide and is found in, or converted to, a wide variety of salts used especially in fertilizers and soaps. Atomic number 19; atomic weight 39.098; melting point 63.5°C; boiling point 759°C; specific gravity 0.86; valence 1. See Periodic Table.

Origin of potassium

From earlier potass potash ( from which it was first obtained ) from French potasse from Dutch potas pot pot ( from Middle Dutch) (Old English pott ) as ash ( from Middle Dutch asche ; see as- in Indo-European roots.)

Related Forms:

po·tas′sic
adjective

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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"potassium." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM>.

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potassium. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM

Symbol K

A soft, highly reactive, silvery-white metallic element of the alkali group occurring in nature only in compounds. It is essential for the growth of plants and is used especially in fertilizers and soaps. Atomic number 19; atomic weight 39.098; melting point 63.65°C; boiling point 774°C; specific gravity 0.862; valence 1.

See Periodic Table

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"potassium." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM>.

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potassium. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM

Noun

(uncountable)

A soft, waxy, silvery reactive metal that is never found unbound in nature; an element (symbol K) with an atomic number of 19 and atomic weight of 39.0983. The symbol is derived from the Latin kalium.

Origin

From potassa (“potash") + -ium.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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"potassium." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM>.

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potassium. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM

potassium - Medical Definition

A soft, silver-white, extremely reactive element that is an alkali metal, is essential to plant and animal cell functions, and occurs in nature only in compounds. It can be obtained by electrolysis of its hydroxide and is found in, or converted to, a wide variety of salts used especially in fertilizers and soaps. Atomic number 19; atomic weight 39.098; melting point 63.5C; boiling point 759C; specific gravity 0.86; valence 1; symbol K.

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"potassium." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM>.

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potassium. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/POTASSIUM

potassium

Facts About Potassium

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Facts About Potassium

potassium

potassium

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