What happens when potassium comes in contact with water?

                    Water is usually used to put out fire, but if you drop a piece of potassium into water, you will see something incredible!

                    The element explodes with a purple flame the moment it is exposed to water. Because potassium is a highly reactive metal. It is very sensitive to the oxygen in the air too. Therefore, potassium has to be stored in mineral oil for safety. And for the same reason, the element is rarely seen in its natural form. However, people are familiar with potassium salts such as, saltpeter and potash and they have been in use for centuries.

                   The fertilizer industry makes great use of potassium, as it is an important nutrient for organisms. It plays a vital role in the human body and is the seventh most abundant element in the human body by weight. Potassium is also used in the production of soap, detergents, dyes, glass, gunpowder, batteries, and even gold. The element derives its name from the word potash.

                   Potassium is a very soft metal. You can easily slice it into pieces with a knife. It makes up roughly 1.5 per cent by mass of the Earth’s crust, and is the seventh most abundant material on Earth.

                   Potassium was the first elemental metal to be produced through electrolysis. Sir Humphry Davy is the scientist who isolated the element for the first time. Atomic number of potassium is 19. Its atomic symbol is K, which comes from its Latin name, Kalium, which means potash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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