🤔 Today's Trivia Question:

What Element is the Periodic Number 19, Highlighted by the Letter K?

Correct Answer: D) Potassium

Potassium metal is characterized by its soft, white, and silvery appearance. It has a low melting point and efficiently conducts heat and electricity. When burned, potassium produces a lavender-colored flame, while its vapor appears green. As the seventh most abundant element in the Earth's crust, potassium constitutes about 2.6 percent of the crust's mass.

The Dead Sea contains approximately 1.7 percent potassium chloride, and numerous other salty bodies of water are rich in potassium. Waste liquids from certain saltworks can have up to 40 grams per liter of potassium chloride, making them a valuable source of this element.

Potassium primarily exists in igneous rocks, shale, and sediment, often in minerals like muscovite and orthoclase feldspar, which are insoluble in water, making potassium extraction challenging. Consequently, most commercial potassium compounds, often referred to as potash, are produced through the electrolysis of soluble potassium compounds. These include carnallite (KMgCl3∙6H2O), sylvite (potassium chloride, KCl), polyhalite (K2Ca2Mg[SO4]4∙2H2O), and langbeinite (K2Mg2[SO4]3), typically found in ancient lake beds and seabeds.

Source: Britannica.com