Potassium forms which ion?

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Multiple Choice

Potassium forms which ion?

Explanation:
Potassium is in group 1, so it has one electron in its outer shell. To achieve a stable electronic arrangement like a noble gas, it loses that single outer electron and forms a positively charged ion with a +1 charge (K+). Losing two electrons would take much more energy, so that option is unlikely. Gaining electrons would produce a negative ion, which metals like potassium don’t form under normal conditions. A neutral potassium atom isn’t an ion at all, so the form it typically takes in compounds is K+.

Potassium is in group 1, so it has one electron in its outer shell. To achieve a stable electronic arrangement like a noble gas, it loses that single outer electron and forms a positively charged ion with a +1 charge (K+). Losing two electrons would take much more energy, so that option is unlikely. Gaining electrons would produce a negative ion, which metals like potassium don’t form under normal conditions. A neutral potassium atom isn’t an ion at all, so the form it typically takes in compounds is K+.

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