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Will potassium steal or give away electrons and how many?

Potassium (19 protons and 19 electrons) is in column 1 of the Periodic Table. All elements in column 1 have 1 electron in the s orbital of their outer shell. All the shells below (closer to the nucleus) are full. Losing that one outer shell, s orbital electron, would make them very stable (8 electrons in the outer shell, except Hydrogen which has only the 1s orbital). Elements in the 7th column have 7 electrons in their outer shell. They need 8 electrons in the outer shell (an Octet) to be stable. Atoms of elements in column 7, like Chlorine (17 protons and 17 electrons), have a strong attraction for 1electron. Atoms of elements in column 1, like Potassium, have a much weaker attraction for the 1 electron in the outer shell. If an atom of an element in the 7th column, like Chlorine, comes close to an atom of an element in column 1, like Potassium, the 1 electron in the outer shell of the Potassium atom, would feel a stronger attraction to the chlorine atom than to the Potassium atom. The electron would move to the Chlorine atom, making Chlorine a negative 1 charged ion, (17 protons, and 18 electrons). The Potassium atom now has 19 protons and 18 electrons, making it a positive 1 charged Potassium ion. The K +1 ion would be attracted to the Cl-1 ion forming Potassium chloride, salt substitute.

Potassium (19 protons and 19 electrons)

= +19 + -19 = 0

Chlorine (17 protons and 17 electrons)

= +17 + -17 = 0

Neutral, but unstable!!

Potassium is very unstable. If you drop a small piece of potassium in a beaker of water, it will produce Hydrogen gas and so much heat that the Hydrogen explode into flames.

Chlorine's toxicity comes from its oxidizing power. When chlorine is inhaled at concentrations above 30ppm it begins to react with water and cells in your body, which change it into hydrochloric acid (HCl) (Toxic)

Potassium ion (19 protons and 18 electrons)

= +19 + -18 = +1

Chlorine ion (17 protons and 18 electrons)

= +17 + -18 = -1

K+1 + Cl-1 = KCl

☺Neutral and stable!!♥

No stealing (immoral) and no giving away of something you valued.

♂☺Just two poor unstable, unhappy souls united, compounding their attributes, and made very happy!! ♂☺

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14y ago
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4mo ago

Potassium will give away one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration.

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Q: Will potassium steal or give away electrons and how many?
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Which element will give its electron away?

An element that is a metal is more likely to give away its electrons because metals tend to lose electrons in chemical reactions to achieve a stable electron configuration. Sodium and potassium are common examples of metals that readily give away electrons.


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Can you consider aluminum chlorine calcium and potassium give up electrons to be stable?

The metals aluminum, calcium, and potassium will give up electrons to be stable. Chlorine is a nonmetal and it will gain an electron in an ionic bond in order to be stable.


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Cations are formed when an atom loses electrons, resulting in a positively charged ion. Therefore, cations give away electrons rather than take them.


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Group 1 elements, such as lithium, sodium, and potassium, easily give up electrons because they have one electron in their outer shell and are highly reactive. Additionally, elements in Group 17, such as fluorine and chlorine, can also easily gain electrons.


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