Potassium Electron Configuration (Explained for Beginners)

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Potassium belongs to group 1 and is in the s-block of the periodic table. Let us look at potassium’s electron configuration.

Potassium, represented by the symbol K, is the second least dense metal after lithium. It is classified in the periodic table as an alkali element. Its melting point is low (63.28 °C or 145.90 °F). It reaches its boiling point at 1,400 °F (760 °C). 

Let us discuss many facts regarding Potassium such as electron configuration, orbital diagram, ground state electronic configuration and KF electron configuration.

How to write Potassium electron configuration?

There are 19 electrons in the K atom. The process of organising the electrons in a Potassium atom involves several steps.

Step 1: The first step is to write the shell number

There are 19 total electrons in a Potassium atom, 1 of which is a valence electron. The distribution of 19 electrons around the potassium atom’s nucleus. Potassium has a total of 4 electron shells. Write these 4 shell consist 2,8,8 and 1 electrons in their structure. 

Step 2: Indicate the orbitals

We will provide these shells with an orbital in this stage so that the electrons can occupy them. These are orbitals with four different levels of shells: s, p, d, and f. The orbitals are written as 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 3d, 4s, 4p, 4d, 4f, 5s, etc.

The orbital with the electron is displayed in the table below:

OrbitalsNumber of
electrons 
occupied
s2
p6
d10
f14
Orbital with electron

Step 4: To arrange electrons in their orbits

  • Hund’s maximum multiplicity rule says that greater spin multiplicities are more stable, however, the Pauli exclusion principle says that the electron pairing then continues in the other way. 
  • Potassium would have a maximum of 1 unpaired electron due to its 4s1 structure, which has 1 electron total to fill its s-orbitals.

Step 3: The last step in writing an electron configuration

  • The electrons are then assigned subscripts according to their highest capacities in the orbitals. 
  • Final configurations are written in the following order: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1.

Potassium electron configuration diagram

The steps below show Potassium’s electronic configuration:

  • Two electrons may be present in the 1s orbital, which has the lowest energy.
  • Following the 1s orbital, the 2s orbital is occupied by 2 electrons.
  • After the 2s orbital, the 2p orbital is filled with 6 electrons.
  • Following the 2p orbital, the 3s orbital is occupied by 2 electrons.
  • After the 3s orbital, the 3p orbital has 6 electrons in it.
  • Following the 3p orbital is the 4s orbital, which has a 1 electron maximum.
  • Overall electron configuration for Potassium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1.

Here is the Potassium electronic configuration diagram:

potassium electron configuration
Potassium Electronic Configuration Diagram

Potassium electron configuration notation

The Potassium electron configuration notation is [Ar]4s1. The notation of orbital is s and p for Potassium. The Potassium has 19 electrons out of which 18 are from the argon gas configuration and the remaining one electron is filled in 4s.  

Potassium unabbreviated electron configuration

In the Unabbreviated electronic configuration, the ground state electronic configuration of the potassium atom is as follows: 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 3d 4s. The 19 electrons that make up the Unabbreviated potassium electron configuration are distributed as follows: 

OrbitalsNumber of
electrons 
occupied
1s2
2s2
2p6
3s2
3p6
4s1
Unabbreviated Potassium electron configuration

Ground state Potassium electron configuration

The ground state electron configuration of potassium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s1.

Excited state of Potassium electron configuration

The excited state of the potassium electronic configuration is present as 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s0. 

Ground state Potassium orbital diagram

Potassium’s orbital diagram in its ground state is discovered to have filled s and p orbitals. Although the 4s-orbital only contains one electron whereas it can hold two. The filled orbitals include each electron in a direction clockwise and anticlockwise to one another. The orbital diagram of Potassium is:

potassium electron configuration
Ground State Potassium Orbital Diagram

Potassium fluoride electron configuration

  • The electronic configuration of K+ is [Ar]4s0. Thus, the net positive charge of the potassium cation(K+) is one unit. 
  • The electronic configuration of F– is [He] 2p5. An additional electron from potassium is added to the fluorine atom’s outermost shell, which already possesses seven electrons.

Potassium chloride electron configuration

  • The electronic configuration of K+ is [Ar]4s0. One electron makes up the potassium atom’s outermost shell. The potassium cation (K+) acquires a net unit positive charge as a result. 
  • The electronic configuration of Cl– is [Ne] 3s2 3p5. The chlorine atom’s outermost shell already has seven electrons; the potassium atom contributes one electron to it will complete the octet rule.

Conclusion

Potassium is an alkali metal with an electrical structure of 2, 8, 8, 1 and 19 electrons in its orbitals. Potassium is a good heat and electricity conductor. At ambient temperature, potassium (K), which has an atomic mass of 39 amu, is in a soft state.

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