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Potassium - Periodic Table of Videos

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The team at periodicvideos has created a TED-Ed Lesson for every element of the periodic table. This one is about potassium -- an "evil" element, but one that's crucial to life. In this video, see some violent explosions and the gentle creation of a potassium mirror.


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Additional Resources for you to Explore
What do you get when you mix potassium, diethyl ether and a little bit of water?
For all the basics about potassium, check out the Visual Elements Periodic Table.
For lots more interesting information about potassium, check out The Elements by Theodore Gray.
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The radioactive isotope 40K occurs in natural potassium. 40K represents the largest source of radioactivity in your body, greater even than 14C. About 4,400 nuclei of 40K decay per second in an adult human body of 70 kg mass.
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Lesson Creator
The symbol for potassium (K, derived from Latin “kalium”) has nothing to do with its English name.
Can you find other elements in the periodic table with a symbol that is not the initial letter of its English name?
09/24/2013 • 
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About TED-Ed Best of Web

TED-Ed Best of Web are exceptional, user-created lessons that are carefully selected by volunteer teachers and TED-Ed staff.

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