Why does sodium have a higher melting point than potassium?

Answer 1

Assuming you mean sodium and potassium in metallic / liquid form, bonds are based on their affinity for that "extra" electron. Sodium has a slightly higher affinity, so its bond lengths can be a little shorter, making the nucleii closer together. Both sodium and potassium form (as metals) body-centered cubic structures, so the entire density difference is due to the bond strength.

Answer 2

Sodium has a higher MP than potassium does because the dispersion forces (electron and proton attraction forces) are much greater than those of potassium's. This is due to the distance of the valence electrons to the nucleus of the atom. The further the distance, the weaker the dispersion forces and thus the requirement of lesser amounts energy to break those bonds.

Answer 3

as we know, on moving down the group, generally there is increase in density. But moving from sodium to potassium, there is increase in charge by 8 units, but atomic radius of potassium got much increase due to presence of 3d subshell but in case of sodium, there is no presence of d subshell.

Answer 4

due to the addition of d-shell in electronic configuration of potassium volume of atom increases abruptly thus density decreases as a result it happens that the density is lower even than sodium.

Answer 5

No, a bit lower density: 0.968 g·cm−3,

Danger:Never put even a small crumb of it into contact with water, or even humid air: it will BURN and maybe explode!

Answer 6

Sodium has a higher melting point than potassium because of stronger metallic bonding in sodium due to more protons and electrons, leading to stronger electrostatic forces of attraction between atoms. This higher bonding strength requires more energy to overcome, resulting in a higher melting point for sodium compared to potassium.

Answer 7

Due to large increase in Atomic radius from Na to K.

Answer 8

Both of them are in same group. It is because of molar mass of sodium is higher than lithium.

Answer 9

potassium is less dense than water