Potassium

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The difference between potassium and sodium was not discovered until the 18th century. "Vegetable alkali" also known as potassium carbonate came from the earth. "Mineral alkali" also known as sodium carbonate came from wood ashes. Early chemists did not recognise that these were two different chemical compounds.
Sir Humphry Davy discovered potassium in 1807 in England, by isolating it using electrolysis. Potassium was the first metal to be isolated by using electrolysis. The name potassium originated from the English word "potash" meaning pot ashes and the Arabic word "qali" meaning alkali. This was because potassium was originally obtained by soaking wood ashes in water and then evaporating the mixture in an iron pot. The origin of the elements symbol “K” comes from the Latin word "kalium" meaning potassium. Potassium used to be called kalium, so the element symbol is 'K'.
Potassium is an "Alkali Metal," and a solid element. Alkali Metals are very reactive metals that do not occur freely in nature. They are are soft, malleable, and good conductors of heat and electricity. It is the 19th element on the periodic table, and located in group 1, period 4.
Potassium is very reactive, and is never found free in nature. It is the eighth most abundant element on earth, and makes up about 2.1% of the earth's crust. Potassium is obtained from the minerals sylvite, carnallite, langbeinite, alunite, and polyhalite. These minerals are mainly found in sea beds and ancient lakes. Potassium is also found in caustic potash. Caustic potash is mainly mined in Germany, New Mexico, California and Utah. Annual world production of potassium is about 200 tons. Primary mining areas for Potassium are Germany, Spain, Canada, USA and Italy.
When potassiu...

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...m in order to survive. Potassium is one of three primary nutrients required by plants.
Potassium works with sodium to aid in the digestion of food and in functioning of the eyes. People whose diets are low in potassium can develop hypokalemia, which in severe cases can be life threatening. Symptoms include irregular heartbeat, fatigue, muscle cramps and constipation. It is unusual for people to be deficient in potassium just because of getting too little of it in their diets, and usually is caused by other ongoing issues in the digestive system.
There are few uses for potassium as a pure element because of its highly reactive nature. When handled there must be full skin and eye protection, and in most cases a explosion-resistant barrier between the user and the metal. In the United States potassium chloride is used for executions by a lethal injection.

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