Potassium

Alex Brown

Mr. Potassium 4 Alkali Metal St. Period 4, Group 1, Periodic Table Atomic Number: 19 Atomic Mass: 39.098

Objective I am looking for a job as a doctor. I am needed to keep animal cells alive. Life could not exist without me. My ideal position would be as a neurologist. Large intakes of me have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, lower blood pressure, and help lower the risk of many other brain and heart problems. I am not only essential to human and animal life, but to plant life. Plants need me to grow and stay healthy. I was first discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1807. I was the first element isolated by electrolysis, and I was isolated from potash, the ashes of plant material (K2CO3). This is also from where I get my name, potassium. My Latin name, and where my symbol K comes from, is Kalium. I am never found in nature as a pure element. I am usually found in ionic salt.

Honors and Awards I am best known for being essential to human life, although this is not my only accomplishment. I am the seventh most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and make up about 2.4% of it. I am less dense then water, so I can float, but if put into water I will react violently and explode. This is because I am one of the most reactive elements on Earth. I form a compound with carbon to form potassium bicarbonate, better known as baking soda. I am found in many different things that humans use, from food preservatives to photographic film. One of my more enjoyable uses is in fireworks, and other explosives.

Experience and Skills I have experience working as a farmer. One of the most important uses of me today is as a fertilizer, in the compound potassium chloride. This is because I help plants grow and stay healthy. I am one of the three primary nutrients required by plants. I have many important skills to aid me in my job. These include skills that allow me to help control the proper balance of fluids in cells. My other skills include being needed for digestion and the function of the eyes. I have been shown to reduce the risk of many health problems in humans, including stroke, osteoporosis and kidney stones. I am a soft, silvery- white metal that is very easy to cut. I have a melting point of 145 degrees and a boiling point of 1,420 degrees.

References My first reference is chlorine. I bond with chlorine in the compound potassium chloride, which is used as a fertilizer. Together, we help make plants grow and remain healthy, keeping the ecosystem working. My second references are nitrogen and oxygen. We bond in the form of potassium nitrate (KNO3). This compound is used in fireworks and explosives. These elements have seen all sides of me, and know that I have the ability to be both fun, and serious. My final reference is carbon. We bond together in the form of potassium bicarbonate. This is used for baking soda, an important tool in any kitchen.

Citations Higdon, Jane. "Micronutrient Information Center." Linus Pauling Institute at Oregeon State University. Feb. 2004. Linus Pauling Institute, Web. 1 Dec 2009. .

"Potassium." Chemistry Explained. 2009. Advameg Inc., Web. 1 Dec 2009. .

"Potassium." Radiochemistry Society. 2003. Web. 1 Dec 2009. .

Links

http://www.radiochemistry.org/periodictable/elements/19.html http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/L-P/Potassium.html http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/potassium/