Potassium
See also Potassium chloride and chloride
Potassium is an element<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. Exploring Creation With Physical Science. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref> in the alkali metals class of the periodic table. It is so chemically active that it is never found free (in elemental form) in nature. In its elemental form, it reacts with water, forming potassium hydroxide and hydrogen gas, so violently that the hydrogen usually catches fire. It reacts with the halogens to make halides like potassium chloride.
Its existence as “potash” or “vegetable alkali” (potassium carbonate), “caustic potash” (potassium hydroxide), etc., had long been known, but it was not isolated as an element until 1807, by Sir Humphrey Davy. It was isolated by electrolysis of potassium hydroxide.
The radioactive decay of potassium provides a method of radiometric dating called potassium-argon dating that is used to calculate the ages of volcanic rocks.
See also
- Permaculture - Permanent agriculture
Metals Botany Biology Agriculture Farmers Sustainable Agriculture Permaculture Plants Soil
- Snippet from Wikipedia: Chloride
The term chloride refers to a compound or molecule that contains either a chlorine ion (Cl−), which is a negatively charged chlorine atom, or a non-charged chlorine atom covalently bonded to the rest of the molecule by a single bond (−Cl). Many inorganic chlorides are salts. Many organic compounds are chlorides. The pronunciation of the word "chloride" is .
The chlorine ion is an anion (negatively charged ion) with the charge Cl−. Chloride salts such as sodium chloride are often soluble in water. It is an essential electrolyte located in all body fluids responsible for maintaining acid/base balance, transmitting nerve impulses and regulating liquid flow in and out of cells. Other examples of ionic chlorides are calcium chloride CaCl2 and ammonium chloride NH4Cl.
The chloride is also a neutral chlorine atom covalently bonded by a single bond to the rest of the molecule. For example, methyl chloride CH3Cl is an organic compound with a covalent C−Cl bond in which the chlorine is not an anion. Other examples of covalent chlorides are carbon tetrachloride CCl4, sulfuryl chloride SO2Cl2 and monochloramine NH2Cl.