Potassium element

Potassium, atomic number 19, atomic weight 39.0983, potassium is a light and soft metal with a low melting point; melting point is 63.25°C, boiling point is 760°C, density is 0.86 g/cm3, English name: potassium, potassium is a silver-white cubic structure metal, and its physical and chemical properties are very similar to sodium.

Potassium is soft and light and can be cut with a knife, and the new cut surface has a silver-white luster.

Chinese name

Potassium element

Foreign name

Potassium element

Classification

Metal

Boiling point

760°C

Melting point

63.25°C

Physical properties

Potassium is a silver-white cubic metal with very similar physical and chemical properties to sodium. Potassium is soft and light and can be cut with a knife. The new cut surface has a silvery white luster.

The surface of potassium is often blue-purple

The density of potassium is 0.862g/cm3 (293K), the melting point is 336K (63℃), and the boiling point is 1043K (770℃).

Potassium is a good conductor of heat and electricity and has good magnetic permeability. The potassium-sodium alloy with a mass fraction of 77.2% potassium and 22.8% sodium has a melting point of only 12°C and is a thermal conductive agent for nuclear reactors. Potassium element also has good ductility and low hardness. It can be dissolved in mercury and liquid ammonia, and can form a blue solution when dissolved in liquid ammonia.

There are 28 discovered isotopes of potassium, ranging from 32K to 55K. Among them, only 39K, 40K and 41K exist in nature, and other isotopes are manufactured artificially. 40K is radioactive and is one of the important sources of natural radioactive background in rocks and soil. [1]

Potassium ions can make the flame purple, which can be detected by flame color reaction and flame photometer. [1]

Chemical properties

Potassium is more active than sodium. The reaction of metallic potassium with water or ice is very violent even if the temperature is as low as -100°C; it reacts with aqueous acid solutions More intense. Metal potassium burns in the air and easily produces orange-red potassium superoxide. Potassium metal reacts very slowly with hydrogen, but reacts very quickly at 400°C. Potassium metal reacts with carbon monoxide to form an explosive carbonyl compound. Potassium-containing compounds give flames a purple color.

Potassium salt is an important fertilizer and one of the three major nutrients for plant growth.

The role of potassium in the body

Potassium can regulate the appropriate osmotic pressure in cells and the acid-base balance of body fluids, and participates in the metabolism of sugar and protein in cells.

Potassium deficiency

"Summer nap" is also known as "summer burnout" in medicine. It is caused by the hot summer and high temperature, which causes the human body to perspire a lot, and then the body becomes tired. Sweat can excrete a large amount of potassium, and because potassium cannot be replenished in time, it can lead to fatigue, fatigue, and lack of energy in summer.

Potassium is an indispensable element in the human body. Generally, the body of an adult contains about 150g of potassium. Its main function is to maintain the normal function of nerves and muscles. Therefore, once the human body is deficient in potassium, normal movement will be affected.

Potassium deficiency in summer not only reduces energy and physical strength, but also reduces heat tolerance, making people feel tired and weak. Severe potassium deficiency can lead to acid-base balance imbalance, metabolic disorder, arrhythmia, muscle weakness and laziness in the body. At this time, some people drink too much salt water in order to make themselves sweat less. As everyone knows, doing so can easily increase the burden on the heart and cause the potassium and sodium balance in the body to become imbalanced. Appropriate supplementation of potassium will help improve the balance of potassium and sodium in the body, which can not only prevent blood pressure from rising, but also prevent blood pressure from being too low. Here are some foods high in potassium.

1. Among grains, buckwheat, corn, sweet potatoes, soybeans, etc. contain higher amounts of potassium.

2. Among fruits, bananas are the richest in potassium.

3. Among vegetables, spinach, amaranth, coriander, rape, cabbage, celery, green onions, green garlic, lettuce, potatoes, yams, fresh peas, edamame, etc. contain higher amounts of potassium.

4. Seaweeds are rich in potassium. For example, seaweed contains 1640 mg of potassium per 100 grams, which is 175 times the sodium; kelp contains 22 times the sodium; hijiki contains potassium. It is 3.1 times that of sodium. Therefore, seaweed soup, steamed seaweed fish, seaweed meatballs, cold kelp shreds, kelp stew, etc. are all top-quality potassium-supplementing dishes in summer.

Potassium is an essential nutrient for human growth. It accounts for 5% of the inorganic salts in the human body and is very important for maintaining a sound nervous system and regulating heart rhythm. It can prevent stroke, maintain normal muscle contraction, and maintain body fluid balance along with sodium. Clinically, many patients suffer from potassium deficiency due to various reasons, such as frequent vomiting, diarrhea and long-term gastrointestinal drainage, which increase the excretion of potassium from the digestive tract; certain kidney diseases and the use of potassium-depleting diuretics increase the excretion of potassium from the kidneys; the adrenal cortex Hyperfunction patients or long-term treatment with adrenocortical hormones can increase potassium excretion; high-temperature work, high-intensity labor and training can cause large amounts of sweating and loss of potassium. The above reasons lead to a decrease in the total amount of potassium in the body. When the serum potassium is lower than 3.5mmol/L, it can be judged as hypokalemia based on the condition.