potassium

/pə'tæsjəm/

Thân thiện

A student examines a sample of potassium in a sealed glass jar during a chemistry lesson.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A chemical element: Potassium is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metallic element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. It is an alkali metal essential for many biological processes in living organisms.
   • A nutrient: In biology and nutrition, potassium refers to the ionic form (K⁺) that is a vital electrolyte, crucial for nerve function, muscle contraction, and fluid balance.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Bananas are a good dietary source of potassium.
  • The chemist analyzed the compound for its potassium content.
  • Potassium reacts violently with water, producing hydrogen gas.

Advanced Usage

• "Potassium deficiency" (hypokalemia): A medical condition resulting from low levels of potassium in the blood.
  • The patient's muscle weakness was attributed to a potassium deficiency.
• "Potassium-argon dating": A radiometric dating method used in geology and archaeology.
  • Potassium-argon dating was used to determine the age of the volcanic rock.

Variants and Related Words

• Potassic (adj): Relating to or containing potassium.
  • The soil was treated with a potassic fertilizer.
• Potassium hydroxide (n): A strong alkali (KOH), commonly called caustic potash.
• Potassium chloride (n): A salt (KCl) often used as a fertilizer and in some salt substitutes.

Synonyms

• K (Chemical symbol): The standard symbol for the element potassium.
• Kalium (Historical name): The Neo-Latin name from which the symbol 'K' is derived.

Related Phrases

• "Potassium channel": A type of protein pore in cell membranes that allows potassium ions to pass through, critical for electrical signaling in nerves and muscles.
  • The drug works by blocking specific potassium channels in the heart.
• "Potassium permanganate": A chemical compound (KMnO₄) used as an oxidizing agent and disinfectant.
  • Potassium permanganate solution is used to treat certain skin conditions.

Related Idioms

(Note: As a specific scientific term, 'potassium' is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions. Its usage is primarily technical or nutritional.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. a light soft silver-white metallic element of the alkali metal group; oxidizes rapidly in air and reacts violently with water; is abundant in nature in combined forms occurring in sea water and in carnallite and kainite and sylvite

Từ đồng nghĩa

• K
• atomic number 19