Home

Transition Metals + -

Actinide Metals + -

Lanthanide Metals + -

Post-Transition Metals + -

Alkaline Earth Metals + -

Compare Metals


Thorium vs Potassium


Potassium vs Thorium


Periodic Table

Symbol
Th   
K   

Group Number
0   
18
1   
17

Period Number
7   
4   

Block
f block   
s block   

Element Family
Actinide   
Alkali   

CAS Number
7440326   
99+
7440097   
99+

Space Group Name
P63/mmc   
Im_ 3m   

Space Group Number
194.00   
5
229.00   
1

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • Thorium metal is used as an alternate option over Uranium for nuclear fuel.
  • Thorium metals appearance (silvery white, soft) is somewhat similar to Lead metal.
  
  • In the list of most abundant element Potassium is ranked 7th.
  • Potassium can easily be sliced (chopped) down using knife.
  

Sources
Found in Minerals, Mining   
Found in Minerals, Mining   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Jöns Jakob Berzelius   
Humphry Davy   

Discovery
In 1829   
In 1807   

Abundance
  
  

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

Abundance In Sun
~0.0004 %   
9
~0.0004 %   
9

Abundance In Meteorites
0.05 %   
11
0.07 %   
9

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.66 %   
7
1.50 %   
6

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
15
0.04 %   
3

Abundance In Humans
Not Available   
0.20 %   
2

Uses

Uses & Benefits
  • Thorium metal is used as an allying agent for Magnesium, It imparts greater strength and resistance to temperature.
  • compound of this metal Thorium oxide is used as an industrial catalyst.
  
  • 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
Aerospace Industry, Automobile Industry, Chemical Industry, Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   
Ammunition Industry, Chemical Industry   

Medical Uses
Dentistry, Surgical Instruments Manufacturing   
Pharmaceutical Industry   

Other Uses
Alloys, Jewellery, Sculptures, Statues   
NA   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Non Toxic   
Toxic   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

In Blood
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
33
1,620.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
2

In Bone
0.02 p.p.m.   
29
2,100.00 p.p.m.   
3

Physical Properties

Melting Point
1,750.00 °C   
17
63.65 °C   
99+

Boiling Point
4,790.00 °C   
8
774.00 °C   
99+

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Silver   
Silvery Gray   

Luster
NA   
NA   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
3.00   
12
0.40   
23

Brinell Hardness
390.00 MPa   
29
0.36 MPa   
99+

Vickers Hardness
295.00 MPa   
29
Not Available   

Speed of Sound
2,490.00 m/s   
36
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
Th   
K   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
28   
11
20   
19

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.30   
32
0.82   
99+

Sanderson Electronegativity
Not Available   
0.45   
31

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.11   
29
0.91   
39

Mulliken-Jaffe Electronegativity
Not Available   
0.73   
23

Allen Electronegativity
Not Available   
0.73   
99+

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.70   
22
3.18   
3

Ionization Energies
  
  

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

2nd Energy Level
1,110.00 kJ/mol   
99+
3,052.00 kJ/mol   
5

3rd Energy Level
1,978.00 kJ/mol   
99+
4,420.00 kJ/mol   
8

4th Energy Level
2,780.00 kJ/mol   
99+
5,877.00 kJ/mol   
9

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

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

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

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

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

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

11th Energy Level
Not Available   
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
2.16 g/amp-hr   
24
1.46 g/amp-hr   
99+

Electron Work Function
3.41 eV   
32
2.30 eV   
99+

Other Chemical Properties
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity   
Chemical Stability, Flammability, Ionization, Solubility   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
90   
28
19   
99+

Electron Configuration
[Rn] 6d2 7s2   
[Ar] 4s1   

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

Crystal Lattice
FCC-Crystal-Structure-of-Thorium.jpg#100   
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
90   
28
19   
99+

Number of Neutrons
142   
15
20   
99+

Number of Electrons
90   
28
19   
99+

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
179.80 pm   
15
227.00 pm   
3

Covalent Radius
206.00 pm   
7
203.00 pm   
9

Van der Waals Radius
237.00 pm   
15
275.00 pm   
5

Atomic Weight
232.04 amu   
23
39.10 amu   
99+

Atomic Volume
19.90 cm3/mol   
20
45.46 cm3/mol   
3

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Actinium
  
Aluminium
  

Next Element
Calcium
  

Valence Electron Potential
59.30 (-eV)   
23
10.40 (-eV)   
99+

Lattice Constant
508.42 pm   
14
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
11.72 g/cm3   
32
0.86 g/cm3   
99+

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

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
0.00 (Pa)   
22
Not Available   

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
31.00 GPa   
21
1.30 GPa   
99+

Bulk Modulus
54.00 GPa   
22
3.10 GPa   
99+

Young's Modulus
79.00 GPa   
24
3.53 GPa   
99+

Poisson Ratio
0.27   
20
Not Available   

Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile   
NA   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
11.70   
23
0.86   
99+

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Superconductor   
Conductor   

Resistivity
157.00 nΩ·m   
22
72.00 nΩ·m   
37

Electrical Conductivity
0.07 106/cm Ω   
31
0.14 106/cm Ω   
14

Electron Affinity
Not Available   
48.40 kJ/mol   
22

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.12 J/(kg K)   
40
0.75 J/(kg K)   
6

Molar Heat Capacity
26.23 J/mol·K   
30
29.60 J/mol·K   
6

Thermal Conductivity
54.00 W/m·K   
28
102.50 W/m·K   
15

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
2,223.00 K   
3

Thermal Expansion
11.00 µm/(m·K)   
36
83.30 µm/(m·K)   
3

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
429.00 kJ/mol   
15
77.50 kJ/mol   
99+

Enthalpy of Fusion
15.48 kJ/mol   
19
2.32 kJ/mol   
99+

Enthalpy of Atomization
468.60 kJ/mol   
15
89.50 kJ/mol   
99+

Standard Molar Entropy
27.30 J/mol.K   
99+
64.70 J/mol.K   
18

Periodic Table >>
<< All

Compare Actinide Series

Actinide Metals

Actinide Metals

» More Actinide Metals

Compare Actinide Series

» More Compare Actinide Series