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Sodium vs Potassium


Potassium vs Sodium


Periodic Table

Symbol
Na   
K   

Group Number
1   
17
1   
17

Period Number
3   
4   

Block
s block   
s block   

Element Family
Alkali   
Alkali   

CAS Number
7440235   
99+
7440097   
99+

Space Group Name
Im_ 3m   
Im_ 3m   

Space Group Number
229.00   
1
229.00   
1

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • At room temperature Sodium metal is very soft as it can be chopped down into pieces with butter knife.
  • The most common compound of Sodium is NaCl (Salt).
  
  • In the list of most abundant element Potassium is ranked 7th.
  • Potassium can easily be sliced (chopped) down using knife.
  

Sources
By Electrolysis Process, Mining   
Found in Minerals, Mining   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Humphry Davy   
Humphry Davy   

Discovery
In 1807   
In 1807   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
2 * 10-3 %   
6
3 * 10-4 %   
9

Abundance In Sun
~0.004 %   
6
~0.0004 %   
9

Abundance In Meteorites
0.55 %   
6
0.07 %   
9

Abundance In Earth's Crust
2.30 %   
5
1.50 %   
6

Abundance In Oceans
1.10 %   
1
0.04 %   
3

Abundance In Humans
0.14 %   
3
0.20 %   
2

Uses

Uses & Benefits
  • In some nuclear reactors sodium is used as a heat exchanger.
  • Compound of Sodium metals called Salt (Sodium chloride) is used in Food.
  
  • 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.
  

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

Medical Uses
Pharmaceutical Industry   
Pharmaceutical Industry   

Other Uses
Alloys   
NA   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Toxic   
Toxic   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

In Blood
1,970.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
1
1,620.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
2

In Bone
10,000.00 p.p.m.   
2
2,100.00 p.p.m.   
3

Physical Properties

Melting Point
97.72 °C   
99+
63.65 °C   
99+

Boiling Point
883.00 °C   
99+
774.00 °C   
99+

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Silvery White   
Silvery Gray   

Luster
Metallic   
NA   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
0.50   
22
0.40   
23

Brinell Hardness
0.69 MPa   
99+
0.36 MPa   
99+

Speed of Sound
3,200.00 m/s   
24
2,000.00 m/s   
99+

Optical Properties
  
  

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
Na   
K   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
17   
22
20   
19

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
0.93   
99+
0.82   
99+

Sanderson Electronegativity
0.56   
30
0.45   
31

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.01   
35
0.91   
39

Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
0.91   
21
0.73   
23

Allen Electronegativity
0.87   
99+
0.73   
99+

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
3.07   
6
3.18   
3

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
495.80 kJ/mol   
99+
418.80 kJ/mol   
99+

2nd Energy Level
4,562.00 kJ/mol   
4
3,052.00 kJ/mol   
5

3rd Energy Level
6,910.30 kJ/mol   
6
4,420.00 kJ/mol   
8

4th Energy Level
9,543.00 kJ/mol   
5
5,877.00 kJ/mol   
9

5th Energy Level
13,354.00 kJ/mol   
4
7,975.00 kJ/mol   
8

6th Energy Level
16,613.00 kJ/mol   
4
9,590.00 kJ/mol   
13

7th Energy level
20,117.00 kJ/mol   
4
11,343.00 kJ/mol   
17

8th Energy Level
25,496.00 kJ/mol   
4
14,944.00 kJ/mol   
13

9th Energy Level
28,932.00 kJ/mol   
4
16,963.70 kJ/mol   
15

10th Energy Level
141,362.00 kJ/mol   
2
48,610.00 kJ/mol   
3

11th Energy Level
159,076.00 kJ/mol   
2
54,490.00 kJ/mol   
4

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

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

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

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

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

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

Electrochemical Equivalent
0.86 g/amp-hr   
99+
1.46 g/amp-hr   
99+

Electron Work Function
2.75 eV   
40
2.30 eV   
99+

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

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
11   
99+
19   
99+

Electron Configuration
[Ne] 3s1   
[Ar] 4s1   

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

Crystal Lattice
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100   
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
11   
99+
19   
99+

Number of Neutrons
12   
99+
20   
99+

Number of Electrons
11   
99+
19   
99+

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
186.00 pm   
9
227.00 pm   
3

Covalent Radius
166.00 pm   
27
203.00 pm   
9

Van der Waals Radius
227.00 pm   
21
275.00 pm   
5

Atomic Weight
22.99 amu   
99+
39.10 amu   
99+

Atomic Volume
23.70 cm3/mol   
10
45.46 cm3/mol   
3

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Beryllium
  
Aluminium
  

Next Element
Magnesium
  
Calcium
  

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

Lattice Constant
429.06 pm   
19
532.80 pm   
12

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, π/2   
π/2, π/2, π/2   

Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available   
Not Available   

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
0.97 g/cm3   
99+
0.86 g/cm3   
99+

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
0.93 g/cm3   
99+
0.83 g/cm3   
99+

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
3.30 GPa   
99+
1.30 GPa   
99+

Bulk Modulus
6.30 GPa   
99+
3.10 GPa   
99+

Young's Modulus
10.00 GPa   
99+
3.53 GPa   
99+

Poisson Ratio
Not Available   
Not Available   

Other Mechanical Properties
NA   
NA   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
0.97   
99+
0.86   
99+

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Conductor   
Conductor   

Resistivity
47.70 nΩ·m   
99+
72.00 nΩ·m   
37

Electrical Conductivity
0.21 106/cm Ω   
9
0.14 106/cm Ω   
14

Electron Affinity
52.80 kJ/mol   
19
48.40 kJ/mol   
22

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
1.23 J/(kg K)   
3
0.75 J/(kg K)   
6

Molar Heat Capacity
28.23 J/mol·K   
10
29.60 J/mol·K   
6

Thermal Conductivity
142.00 W/m·K   
11
102.50 W/m·K   
15

Critical Temperature
2,573.00 K   
2
2,223.00 K   
3

Thermal Expansion
71.00 µm/(m·K)   
4
83.30 µm/(m·K)   
3

Enthalpy
  
  

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

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

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

Standard Molar Entropy
51.30 J/mol.K   
28
64.70 J/mol.K   
18

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