Potassium: Morgan W, Kim G, Austin S

You may not know it, but Potassium(K) is used in many ways in many parts of our lives. Without it, we would not be alive to write this!!! It plays a vital role in the normal functions of the body, particularly the cell. It's required in our nerves to make us move! Without it, we cannot move. We'd be limp. It also regulates water and acid base to balance blood and tissue. It prevents heart attacks and strokes, leaving more people to live!

Also, like humans, plants need Potassium as well. Potassium is an essential nutrient that helps control the functioning of the stomata present in plant cells. Without the element, the plant wouldn't be able to live. And without plants, there would be no Oxygen for us to breathe! Another reason why humans need Potassium.

Without this substance, we wouldn't have soap, batteries, or explosives. Imagine not having soap to clean yourself, you would be a very dirty person. YUCK! People would also have to go up to the T.V. to turn the channel, we wouldn't have batteries for the remote. So much work... On AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY, we wouldn't have fireworks or matches to light them. Fireworks are fun, right? Potassium is needed for them to explode!  If there was no Potassium, we would have a boring 4th of July. So your life would be incomplete without Potassium. Even though alcohol is frowned upon, people still love it! Potassium is used to preserve beer and wine, without it, it can't allow the beverage to age and taste good. (not that we would know). (;

In the year 1807, a righteous, smart man named Sir Humphrey Davy, who is from England, discovered this wonderful element. It's a silvery white Alkali Metal that is solid at room temperature. Some properties of Alkali Metals are low electronegativities, low ionization energies, and having a lower density than other metals. Potassium's atomic number is 19 and it's atomic weight is 39.1(rounded to the nearest tenth). It is the seventh most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and sixth most abundant in the ocean. Due to its high reactivity, it's not found in nature, the way to obtain this fantastic element is the process of electrolysis. Electrolysis is the passage of a direct current through a solution that contains ions. But be careful, it's one of the most reactive metals you will ever encounter!

For your enjoyment, here's a merry and informative song on Potassium:

Our information was collected from these sites: Source #1; Source #2; Source #3; Source #4; Source #5; Source #6