Home

Transition Metals + -

Actinide Metals + -

Lanthanide Metals + -

Post-Transition Metals + -

Alkaline Earth Metals + -

Compare Metals


Potassium vs Mercury


Mercury vs Potassium


Periodic Table

Symbol
K   
Hg   

Group Number
1   
17
12   
6

Period Number
4   
6   

Block
s block   
d block   

Element Family
Alkali   
Transition Metal   

CAS Number
7440097   
99+
7439976   
99+

Space Group Name
Im_ 3m   
R_ 3m   

Space Group Number
229.00   
1
166.00   
6

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • In the list of most abundant element Potassium is ranked 7th.
  • Potassium can easily be sliced (chopped) down using knife.
  
  • At room temperature mercury is found in a liquid state.
  • A coin of pound or rupees floats in mercury.
  • Because of its low melting point and boiling point it is used in thermometers.
  

Sources
Found in Minerals, Mining   
Mining, Ores of Minerals   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Humphry Davy   
Ancient Chinese and Indians   

Discovery
In 1807   
Before 2000 BCE   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
3 * 10-4 %   
9
Not Available   

Abundance In Sun
~0.0004 %   
9
~-9999 %   

Abundance In Meteorites
0.07 %   
9
Not Available   

Abundance In Earth's Crust
1.50 %   
6
0.05 %   
9

Abundance In Oceans
0.04 %   
3
Not Available   

Abundance In Humans
0.20 %   
2
Not Available   

Uses

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.
  
  • It is a liquid metal at room temperature, but it is a toxic heavy metal and hence many uses of mercury are under review or phased out.
  • It is manly used as a catalysts in chemical industry.
  

Industrial Uses
Ammunition Industry, Chemical Industry   
Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   

Medical Uses
Pharmaceutical Industry   
Dentistry   

Other Uses
NA   
Alloys, Mirror Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Industry   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Toxic   
Highly Toxic   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

In Blood
1,620.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
2
0.01 Blood/mg dm-3   
23

In Bone
2,100.00 p.p.m.   
3
0.45 p.p.m.   
19

Physical Properties

Melting Point
63.65 °C   
99+
Not Available   

Boiling Point
774.00 °C   
99+
356.58 °C   
99+

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Liquid   

Color
Silvery Gray   
Silver   

Luster
NA   
NA   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
0.40   
23
Not Available   

Brinell Hardness
0.36 MPa   
99+
Not Available   

Speed of Sound
2,000.00 m/s   
99+
1,451.40 m/s   
99+

Optical Properties
  
  

Refractive Index
Not Available   
1.00   
3

Reflectivity
Not Available   
73.00 %   
8

Allotropes
No   
No   

α Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

β Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

γ Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula
K   
Hg   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
20   
19
34   
5

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
0.82   
99+
2.00   
7

Sanderson Electronegativity
0.45   
31
2.20   
7

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
0.91   
39
1.44   
17

Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
0.73   
23
1.81   
9

Allen Electronegativity
0.73   
99+
1.44   
30

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
3.18   
3
2.00   
99+

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
418.80 kJ/mol   
99+
1,007.10 kJ/mol   
4

2nd Energy Level
3,052.00 kJ/mol   
5
1,810.00 kJ/mol   
20

3rd Energy Level
4,420.00 kJ/mol   
8
3,300.00 kJ/mol   
20

4th Energy Level
5,877.00 kJ/mol   
9
Not Available   

5th Energy Level
7,975.00 kJ/mol   
8
Not Available   

6th Energy Level
9,590.00 kJ/mol   
13
Not Available   

7th Energy level
11,343.00 kJ/mol   
17
Not Available   

8th Energy Level
14,944.00 kJ/mol   
13
Not Available   

9th Energy Level
16,963.70 kJ/mol   
15
Not Available   

10th Energy Level
48,610.00 kJ/mol   
3
Not Available   

11th Energy Level
54,490.00 kJ/mol   
4
Not Available   

12th Energy Level
60,730.00 kJ/mol   
4
Not Available   

13th Energy Level
68,950.00 kJ/mol   
4
Not Available   

14th Energy Level
75,900.00 kJ/mol   
5
Not Available   

15th Energy Level
83,080.00 kJ/mol   
6
Not Available   

16th Energy Level
93,400.00 kJ/mol   
7
Not Available   

17th Energy Level
99,710.00 kJ/mol   
8
Not Available   

Electrochemical Equivalent
1.46 g/amp-hr   
99+
3.74 g/amp-hr   
10

Electron Work Function
2.30 eV   
99+
4.49 eV   
15

Other Chemical Properties
Chemical Stability, Flammability, Ionization, Solubility   
Flammability, Ionization, Solubility   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
19   
99+
80   
36

Electron Configuration
[Ar] 4s1   
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2   

Crystal Structure
Body Centered Cubic (BCC)   
Rhombohedral (RHO)   

Crystal Lattice
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100   
RHO-Crystal-Structure-of-Mercury.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
19   
99+
80   
36

Number of Neutrons
20   
99+
121   
22

Number of Electrons
19   
99+
80   
36

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
227.00 pm   
3
151.00 pm   
32

Covalent Radius
203.00 pm   
9
132.00 pm   
99+

Van der Waals Radius
275.00 pm   
5
155.00 pm   
99+

Atomic Weight
39.10 amu   
99+
200.59 amu   
32

Atomic Volume
45.46 cm3/mol   
3
14.82 cm3/mol   
35

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Aluminium
  
Gold
  

Next Element
Calcium
  
Thallium
  

Valence Electron Potential
10.40 (-eV)   
99+
28.20 (-eV)   
99+

Lattice Constant
532.80 pm   
12
300.50 pm   
99+

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, π/2   
NA   

Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available   
Not Available   

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
0.86 g/cm3   
99+
13.53 g/cm3   
24

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
0.83 g/cm3   
99+
Not Available   

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
0.00   
1

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
1.30 GPa   
99+
Not Available   

Bulk Modulus
3.10 GPa   
99+
Not Available   

Young's Modulus
3.53 GPa   
99+
Not Available   

Poisson Ratio
Not Available   
Not Available   

Other Mechanical Properties
NA   
NA   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
0.86   
99+
13.53   
16

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Diamagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Conductor   
Conductor   

Resistivity
72.00 nΩ·m   
37
961.00 nΩ·m   
1

Electrical Conductivity
0.14 106/cm Ω   
14
0.01 106/cm Ω   
99+

Electron Affinity
48.40 kJ/mol   
22
0.00 kJ/mol   
40

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.75 J/(kg K)   
6
0.14 J/(kg K)   
38

Molar Heat Capacity
29.60 J/mol·K   
6
27.98 J/mol·K   
13

Thermal Conductivity
102.50 W/m·K   
15
8.30 W/m·K   
99+

Critical Temperature
2,223.00 K   
3
1,750.00 K   
6

Thermal Expansion
83.30 µm/(m·K)   
3
60.40 µm/(m·K)   
5

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
77.50 kJ/mol   
99+
56.90 kJ/mol   
99+

Enthalpy of Fusion
2.32 kJ/mol   
99+
2.29 kJ/mol   
99+

Enthalpy of Atomization
89.50 kJ/mol   
99+
61.50 kJ/mol   
99+

Standard Molar Entropy
64.70 J/mol.K   
18
75.80 J/mol.K   
6

Periodic Table >>
<< All

Compare All Metals

All Metals

All Metals


Compare All Metals