Potassium Potassium Potassium is a chemical element with symbol K (from Neo-Latin "kalium") and atomic number 19. It was first isolated from potash, the ashes of plants, from which its name derives. In the periodic table, potassium is one of the alkali metals. All of the alkali metals have a single valence electron in the outer electron shell, which is easily removed to create an ion with a positive charge – a cation, which combines with anions to form salts. Potassium in nature occurs only in ionic salts. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air
Potassium bicarbonate bicarbonate occurs between : It is manufactured by reversing the above: reaction of potassium carbonate with carbon dioxide and water: This compound is a source of carbon dioxide for leavening in baking, extinguishing fire in dry chemical fire extinguishers, acting as a reagent, and a strong buffering agent in medications. It is used as an additive in winemaking and as a base in foods and to regulate pH. Potassium bicarbonate is often found added to club soda to improve taste, to soften the effect of effervescence. Potassium bicarbonate is used as a fire suppression agent ("BC dry chemical") in some