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The goal (in general) of atoms is to get a full outer shell.

Potassium has only one electron in the outer shell, so it wants to give it away to another atom so that it can have that full outer shell.

Therefore potassium, lithium, sodium, etc. lose their electrons quickly.

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12y ago
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11y ago

The Ion form of Potassium is 1+, meaning that it has one more proton than it has electrons. That would mean that it has 18 Electrons in total because it has 19 protons, as indicated by its atomic number

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14y ago

The Potassium has total 19 electrons ,2,8,8,1. the loss of first electron is from outermost shell which requires no a high amount of energy but the removal of 2nd electron from complete octet requires very high amount of energy and almost impossible to remove so the +2 oxidation state for potassium is not possible under normal conditions.

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11y ago

Potassium is a group 1 metal with one electron in its valence shell. Electronic configuration [Ar] 4s1

Losing one electron gives it the stable configuration of argon a noble gas.

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9y ago

Then a positive ion is made (cation, K+)

K --> K+ + e-

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14y ago

Only one electron

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Q: Why is it easy to take away one electron from a potassium atom but harder to take away a second electron?
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Related questions

Why does lithium have a smaller atomic radius then potassium?

because the second ionisation means removing the second electron from the potassium atom. Potassium only has one electrin in its outer most shell so the second electron would be in another electron shell which is closer to the nucleus meaning there is a stronger attraction to that electron because of the protons in the nucleus which are positive and attrct the negative electrons so more energy is needed to remove the second electron


When potassium forms a compound with iodine one electron is transferred from the atom to the atom?

Potassium lose an electron (iodine gain this electron) to form potassium iodide, KI.


When a potassium atom reacts with a bromine atom the potassium atom will?

lose only one electron


When a potassium atom reacts with bromine the potassium atom will?

ll lose only 1 electron


Why does a potassium atom always lose its one valence electron what type of bond will it form with a chlorine atom?

A potassium atom "always" loses exactly one valence electron when it reacts with another element, because one valence electron in a potassium atom has a much lower ionization energy requirement than any other electron in the same atom. (This property is generally ascribed to the fact that when a potassium loses exactly one electron, it acquires the very stable electron configuration of the noble gas argon.) A chlorine atom has a very strong attraction (its electronegativity) for exactly one electron, which gives the charged atom the electron configuration of an argon atom. Therefore, when a potassium atom is close enough to a chlorine atom, one electron is transferred between to form an ionic bond and a formula unit of the compound potassium chloride.


What is the symbol and name for the cation formed when a potassium atom loses one electron?

The symbol for the cation formed when a potassium atom loses one electron is K+, and is named the potassium ion.


How does potassium become an ion?

When a potassium atom becomes an ion, the potassium atom donates one of its electrons, specifically the only electron in its valence shell, to another more electronegative atoms. The original potassium atom then becomes a potassium cation with formula K+.


When fluorine atom gains an electron it forms?

When a fluorine atom gains an electron, it forms a negative ion.


If a bromine atom attracts electron from potassium atom what happens to both?

positively


How many valence electrons does an atom of potassium have?

4


What type of bond is formed when an atom of potassium loses an electron to an atom of chlorine?

ionic


What particle has the same electron configuration as a potassium ion?

argon atom