Question

The symbol of potassium is taken from:
A. Kalium
B. Kappa
C. Kameni Kia
D. Kassandrenos

Answer 1

Hint: Potassium is a chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19.It was first isolated from the ashes of plants called potash from which its name derives. It's been taken from greek letter.

Step by step answer: Potassium was taken from a Greek letter Kalium. It is a part of group one elements called alkali metals that have one valence electron in its outer shell making them reactive as they easily remove the valence electron and create a positive cation. It is a silvery white metal that is so soft that it can be cut with a knife with little force.

Additional Information: Potassium in nature occurs only in ionic salts. It is also found dissolved in seawater and it also occurs in many minerals. It is also present in many foods and vegetables and is very vital for our body. Its excess and deficiency in the body can cause various signs and symptoms including an abnormal heart rate and various abnormalities. It is also used in industries for soaps and fertilizers due to its high solubility in water.
Some of its physical properties are that its solid, soft, low melting point has silvery appearance when freshly cut and exposure of air makes it grey. Some chemical properties are that it reacts with oxygen to form potassium peroxide, with water it forms potassium hydroxide which is an exothermic reaction.

Note: One should always take care that it is not necessary that the symbol of an element will be the starting letter of that element name.Here we have noted that potassium symbol is taken from Greek letter Kalium. Having information about the element's symbol name is necessary to solve such questions.