Element Family
Alkali
Actinide
Space Group Name
Im_ 3m
P63/mmc
Interesting Facts
- In the list of most abundant element Potassium is ranked 7th.
- Potassium can easily be sliced (chopped) down using knife.
- Americium metal is produced by bombarding Plutonium with Neutrons.
- Americium metal was discovered as a by-product while testing an atomic bomb (Manhattan Project).
Sources
Found in Minerals, Mining
Obtained By Bombarding Plutonium with Neutrons
Who Discovered
Humphry Davy
Glenn T. Seaborg, Ralph A. James, Leon O. Morgan, Albert Ghiorso
Discovery
In 1807
In 1944
Abundance In Earth's Crust
Uses & Benefits
- Potassium’s compounds are in high demand for their application in Fertilizer manufacturing.
- Potassium carbonate is used in glass manufacturing and Potassium carbonate in manufacturing detergent and body wash.
- Americium metal is used in smoke detection alarms.
-
In the future, this metal has a potential to be used in batteries of spacecrafts.
Industrial Uses
Ammunition Industry, Chemical Industry
-
Medical Uses
Pharmaceutical Industry
-
Other Uses
-
Alloys, Nuclear Research, Research Purposes
Present in Human Body
Yes
No
Physical State
Solid
Solid
Color
Silvery Gray
Silvery White
Pauling Electronegativity
Sanderson Electronegativity
Allred Rochow Electronegativity
Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
Pauling Electropositivity
Electrochemical Equivalent
Other Chemical Properties
Chemical Stability, Flammability, Ionization, Solubility
Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity, Solubility
Electron Configuration
[Ar] 4s1
[Rn] 5f7 7s2
Crystal Structure
Body Centered Cubic (BCC)
Double Hexagonal Close Packed (DHCP)
Crystal Lattice
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100
DHCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Americium.jpg#100
Valence Electron Potential
Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, π/2
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3
Density At Room Temperature
Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
Other Mechanical Properties
-
-
Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic
Paramagnetic
Electrical Property
Conductor
-