What is the oxidation number for potassium?

1 Answer
anor277
Jan 1, 2017

For potassium metal..............?

Explanation:

The metal has neither accepted nor donated electrons. The element is zerovalent.

Most of the time, the metal acts as a one electron reductant:

#K(s) rarr K^+ + e^-#

And thus in its compounds, the oxidation state of potassium is almost invariably #+I#. Look at examples, #KCl#, #KO^tBu, K_2CO_3, KOH#.

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