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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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More answers

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

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AnswerBot

9mo ago
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Q: Will potassium steal or give away electrons and how many?
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