K
Potassium Symbol (K)
Potassium is element 19 of the periodic table. Copy its symbol K and see its atomic weight, electron configuration and common compounds.
What does K mean?
K is the chemical symbol for potassium, element number 19 in the periodic table. Potassium is an alkali metal in group 1, period 4. It is a reactive metal vital for nerve signals; its symbol K comes from the Latin kalium.
Codes and properties
| Chemical symbol | K |
|---|---|
| Atomic number (Z) | 19 |
| Standard atomic weight | 39.098 |
| Group / period | 1 / 4 |
| Element category | alkali metal |
| Electron configuration | 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s¹ |
| Common compounds | KCl, KOH, KNO₃ |
How to type K
- Plain text: type
K— element symbols are ordinary Latin letters, with the first letter capitalised. - Subscripts in formulas: use Unicode subscript digits (₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉) for formulas such as KCl — copy them from the chemistry keyboard.
- LaTeX: write
\mathrm{K}in math mode, or use the mhchem package:\ce{K}. - HTML:
K; for subscripts use<sub>, e.g.H<sub>2</sub>O.
Frequently asked questions
What is the chemical symbol for potassium?
The chemical symbol for potassium is K.
What is the atomic number of potassium?
Potassium has atomic number 19, meaning each atom has 19 protons.
What is the electron configuration of potassium?
The ground-state electron configuration of potassium is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s¹.