Compare Potassium vs Zinc: Periodic Table Element Comparison Table and Properties
Compare the elements Potassium and Zinc on the basis of their properties, attributes and periodic table facts. Compare elements - Potassium and Zinc comparison table side by side across over 90 properties. All the elements of similar categories show a lot of similarities and differences in their chemical, atomic, physical properties and uses. These similarities and dissimilarities should be known while we study periodic table elements. You can study the detailed comparison between Potassium vs Zinc with most reliable information about their properties, attributes, facts, uses etc. You can compare K vs Zn on more than 90 properties like electronegativity, oxidation state, atomic shells, orbital structure, Electronaffinity, physical states, electrical conductivity and many more. This in-depth comparison helps students, educators, researchers, and science enthusiasts understand the differences and similarities between Potassium and Zinc.
Potassium and Zinc Comparison
Here's a detailed comparison between Potassium (K) and Zinc (Zn), focusing on their position in the periodic table, physical and chemical properties, stability, and uses.
Facts - Basic Element Details
| Name | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Number | 19 | 30 |
| Atomic Symbol | K | Zn |
| Atomic Weight | 39.0983 | 65.409 |
| Phase at STP | Solid | Solid |
| Color | Silver | SlateGray |
| Metallic Classification | Alkali Metal | Transition Metal |
| Group in Periodic Table | group 1 | group 12 |
| Group Name | lithium family | zinc family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 4 | period 4 |
| Block in Periodic Table | s -block | d -block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Ar] 4s1 | [Ar] 3d10 4s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 8, 1 | 2, 8, 18, 2 |
| Melting Point | 336.53 K | 692.68 K |
| Boiling Point | 1032 K | 1180 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-09-7 | CAS7440-66-6 |
| Neighborhood Elements | Neighborhood Elements of Potassium | Neighborhood Elements of Zinc |
History
| Parameter | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| History | The element Potassium was discovered by H. Davy in year 1807 in United Kingdom. Potassium derived its name from New Latin potassa, 'potash' (kalium in Latin). | The element Zinc was discovered by Indian metallurgists in year Before 1000 BCE in Germany. Zinc derived its name from the German word Zink. |
| Discovery | H. Davy (1807) | Indian metallurgists (Before 1000 BCE) |
| Isolated | H. Davy (1807) | Indian subcontinent (1000 BCE) |
Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
Parts per billion (ppb) by weight / by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 3000 / 100 | 300 / 6 |
| Abundance in Sun | 4000 / 100 | 2000 / 30 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 710000 / 370000 | 180000 / 44000 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 15000000 / 7800000 | 79000 / 25000 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 416000 / 65800 | 5 / 0.47 |
| Abundance in Humans | 2000000 / 320000 | 33000 / 3200 |
Crystal Structure and Atomic Structure
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Volume | 45.68 cm3/mol | 9.161 cm3/mol |
| Atomic Radius | 243 pm | 142 pm |
| Covalent Radius | 196 pm | 131 pm |
| Van der Waals Radius | 275 pm | 139 pm |
Atomic Spectrum - Spectral Lines | ||
| Emission Spectrum |  |  |
| Absorption Spectrum |  |  |
| Lattice Constant | 532.8, 532.8, 532.8 pm | 266.49, 266.49, 494.68 pm |
| Lattice Angle | π/2, π/2, π/2 | π/2, π/2, 2 π/3 |
| Space Group Name | Im_ 3m | P63/mmc |
| Space Group Number | 229 | 194 |
| Crystal Structure | Body Centered Cubic  | Simple Hexagonal  |
Atomic and Orbital Properties
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Number | 19 | 30 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 19 | 30 |
| Number of Protons | 19 | 30 |
| Mass Number | 39.0983 | 65.409 |
| Number of Neutrons | 20 | 35 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 8, 1 | 2, 8, 18, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Ar] 4s1 | [Ar] 3d10 4s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 4s1 | 3d10 4s2 |
| Oxidation State | 1 | 2 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 2S1/2 | 1S0 |
| Shell structure |  |  |
Isotopes and Nuclear Properties
Potassium has 2 stable naturally occuring isotopes while Zinc has 5 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
| Parameter | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Known Isotopes | 32K, 33K, 34K, 35K, 36K, 37K, 38K, 39K, 40K, 41K, 42K, 43K, 44K, 45K, 46K, 47K, 48K, 49K, 50K, 51K, 52K, 53K, 54K, 55K | 54Zn, 55Zn, 56Zn, 57Zn, 58Zn, 59Zn, 60Zn, 61Zn, 62Zn, 63Zn, 64Zn, 65Zn, 66Zn, 67Zn, 68Zn, 69Zn, 70Zn, 71Zn, 72Zn, 73Zn, 74Zn, 75Zn, 76Zn, 77Zn, 78Zn, 79Zn, 80Zn, 81Zn, 82Zn, 83Zn |
| Stable Isotopes | Naturally occurring stable isotopes: 39K, 41K | Naturally occurring stable isotopes: 64Zn, 66Zn, 67Zn, 68Zn, 70Zn |
| Neutron Cross Section | 2.1 | 1.1 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.0018 | 0.00055 |
Chemical Properties: Ionization Energies and electron affinity
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Valence or Valency | 1 | 2 |
| Electronegativity | 0.82 Pauling Scale | 1.65 Pauling Scale |
| Oxidation State | 1 | 2 |
| Electron Affinity | 48.4 kJ/mol | 0 kJ/mol |
| Ionization Energies | 1st: 418.8 kJ/mol 2nd: 3052 kJ/mol 3rd: 4420 kJ/mol 4th: 5877 kJ/mol 5th: 7975 kJ/mol 6th: 9590 kJ/mol 7th: 11343 kJ/mol 8th: 14944 kJ/mol 9th: 16963.7 kJ/mol 10th: 48610 kJ/mol 11th: 54490 kJ/mol 12th: 60730 kJ/mol 13th: 68950 kJ/mol 14th: 75900 kJ/mol 15th: 83080 kJ/mol 16th: 93400 kJ/mol 17th: 99710 kJ/mol 18th: 444880 kJ/mol 19th: 476063 kJ/mol | 1st: 906.4 kJ/mol 2nd: 1733.3 kJ/mol 3rd: 3833 kJ/mol 4th: 5731 kJ/mol 5th: 7970 kJ/mol 6th: 10400 kJ/mol 7th: 12900 kJ/mol 8th: 16800 kJ/mol 9th: 19600 kJ/mol 10th: 23000 kJ/mol 11th: 26400 kJ/mol 12th: 29990 kJ/mol 13th: 40490 kJ/mol 14th: 43800 kJ/mol 15th: 47300 kJ/mol 16th: 52300 kJ/mol 17th: 55900 kJ/mol 18th: 59700 kJ/mol 19th: 67300 kJ/mol 20th: 71200 kJ/mol 21st: 179100 kJ/mol |
Physical Properties
Potassium (0.856 g/cm³) is less dense than Zinc (7.14 g/cm³). This means that a given volume of Zinc will be heavier than the same volume of Potassium. Zinc is about 734.1 denser than Potassium
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Phase at STP | Solid | Solid |
| Color | Silver | SlateGray |
| Density | 0.856 g/cm3 | 7.14 g/cm3 |
| Density (when liquid (at melting point)) | 0.828 g/cm3 | 6.57 g/cm3 |
| Molar Volume | 45.68 cm3/mol | 9.161 cm3/mol |
Mechanical and Hardness Properties
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
Elastic Properties | ||
| Young Modulus | - | 108 |
| Shear Modulus | 1.3 GPa | 43 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 3.1 GPa | 70 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | - | 0.25 |
Hardness - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element | ||
| Mohs Hardness | 0.4 MPa | 2.5 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | - | - |
| Brinell Hardness | 0.363 MPa | 412 MPa |
Thermal and Electrical Conductivity
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
Heat and Conduction Properties | ||
| Thermal Conductivity | 100 W/(m K) | 120 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | - | 0.0000302 /K |
Electrical Properties | ||
| Electrical Conductivity | 14000000 S/m | 17000000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 7e-8 m Ω | 5.9e-8 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | - | 0.85 |
Magnetic and Optical Properties
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
Magnetic Properties | ||
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic | Diamagnetic |
| Curie Point | - | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 6.7e-9 m3/kg | -2.21e-9 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 2.62e-10 m3/mol | -1.45e-10 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.00000574 | -0.0000158 |
Optical Properties | ||
| Refractive Index | - | 1.00205 |
Acoustic Properties | ||
| Speed of Sound | 2000 m/s | 3700 m/s |
Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
| Property | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Melting Point | 336.53 K | 692.68 K |
| Boiling Point | 1032 K | 1180 K |
| Critical Temperature | 2223 K | - |
| Superconducting Point | - | 0.85 |
Enthalpies | ||
| Heat of Fusion | 2.33 kJ/mol | 7.35 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 76.9 kJ/mol | 119 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | -182 J/(kg K) | - |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
| Parameter | Potassium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Number | CAS7440-09-7 | CAS7440-66-6 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSTS6460000 | RTECSZG8600000 |
| DOT Hazard Class | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| DOT Numbers | 2257 | 1436 |
| EU Number | - | - |
| NFPA Fire Rating | 3 | 0 |
| NFPA Health Rating | 3 | 2 |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | 2 | 0 |
| NFPA Hazards | Water Reactive | Water Reactive |
| AutoIgnition Point | 440 °C | 460 °C |
| Flashpoint | - | - |
Compare Potassium and Zinc With Other Elements
Compare Potassium and Zinc with other elements of the periodic table. Explore howPotassium and Zinc stack up against other elements of the periodic table. Use our interactive comparison tool to analyze 90+ properties across different metals, non-metals, metalloids, and noble gases. Understanding these differences is crucial for applications in engineering, chemistry, electronics, biology, and material science.