Component 1

Atomic Number: 19

Atomic Mass: 40

Melting Point: 147°F

Boiling Point: 1398°F

Major Group: Alkali Metals

Phase at Room Temperature: Solid

Density: 0.89 g/cm

Electron configuration: 2 8 8 1

Component 2

Sir Humphrey Davy, the father of electrolysis, was born on seventeenth of December on

1778 in Penzance, Cornwall which is in England. Sixteen years later, in 17944, Davy’s father

died; leaving him to support his family and to do that he became apprentice to an apothecary.

This got him interested in Chemistry. Soon Davy was known for sniffing laughing gas and other

gasses. One of his most important contributions was discovering a way to extract potassium,

calcium, magnesium, and some other elements. Also Davy was knighted in 1812 by King George

III. I n 1827, Davy became very ill because of all the gases he inhaled. He died of a heart attack

in Geneva, Switzerland on May 29, 1829.

Date potassium was discovered: 1807

Discovered by: Sir Humphrey Davy

Origin of name: From the English word potash (pot ashes)

Potassium was found by Sir Walter Davy. Davy tried extracting potassium from potash (wood ash). After
a few attempts with water, Davy tried another way to extract it. (The pure element explodes when it hits
water and can explode when it comes in contact with oxygen)Potassium was found when he melted
down potash and ran an electrical current through it.
The element Potassium can’t be found in nature. It’s found in compounds because it reacts violently
with oxygen and water. Potassium compounds are usually found in ancient lake and sea beds. Caustic
potash is mined in New Mexico, California and Utah.

Potassium can form many important compounds. It can be used to make soaps, detergents, and drain
cleaners. Also, it is found in pearl ash, which is used to make some types of glass and soaps and is
obtained commercially as a byproduct of the production of ammonia. Potassium nitrate, also known as
saltpeter, is used in fertilizers. You can you fertilizers high in saltpeter to make explosives (smoke
bombs) and firecrackers.