Potassium
Atomic number 19 means that every Potassium nucleus contains 19 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Potassium.
Start with the nucleus
Atomic number 19 means that every Potassium nucleus contains 19 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Potassium.
Potassium (K) is chemical element 19. It belongs to the alkali metals, and its reference state at room temperature is a solid. Those basic facts are a useful starting point for its chemistry and applications.
In practice, it turns up most often in fertiliser production, biology and soaps and chemical bases.
See the atom
Conceptual visual: electron shells are a learning aid, not a literal picture of quantum orbitals.
What this number means
Atomic number 19 means that every Potassium nucleus contains 19 protons. That proton count is the element's identity: change it and you no longer have Potassium.