K
Potassium · Kalium
Potassium is a highly reactive, soft alkali metal that is thermodynamically stable and widely studied for its metallic properties.
About Potassium
Potassium is a fundamental metallic element known for its high reactivity and presence on the convex hull, indicating exceptional thermodynamic stability. As a soft, silvery-white metal, it serves as a cornerstone in inorganic chemistry and materials science research.
Its metallic nature allows for excellent electrical conductivity, making it a subject of extensive study across numerous structural databases. Due to its unique electronic configuration, it remains a vital component in understanding fundamental atomic interactions and metallic bonding behavior.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Potassium, aggregated across 5 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of K. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting K.
Applications
Where Potassium is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Potassium, answered from cross-validated data.
What is K?
Potassium is a highly reactive, soft alkali metal that is thermodynamically stable and widely studied for its metallic properties.
What is K used for?
What is the band gap of K?
Is K a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is K thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of K are known?
How is K synthesized?
What elements does K contain?
Where does the data for K come from?
How It Compares
As a primary alkali metal, potassium defines the standard for reactivity and metallic character within its group. It serves as a benchmark for understanding the structural and electronic trends observed in lighter and heavier group members.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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