Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Is potassium chloride the same as potassium?

Are the two potassiums different?

15 Answers

Relevance
  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    No! One is KCl and the other is just plain K! Don't eat them, or you will barf. nm

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    Potassium is an element and is represented by K When potassium gets combined by reaction with another element like chlorine represented by Cl it forms a compound called potassium chloride or KCl for more info refer to the link below

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    The two "potassiums" are not the same. The potassium in potassium chloride is the potassium ION. It is a potassium atom with one electron missing (this electron is residing on the chloride ion to which the potassium ion is bonded). It has very different chemical properties than potassium, which is a solid in its elemental state. For example, potassium is a highly reactive metal, while the potassium ion is quite stable. The ionic form dissolves in water, while the elemental form reacts very violently in water. As a general rule, species in their elemental form and their ionic forms do not have the same chemical or physical properties.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Potassium Chloride is an ionic salt formed by the combination of Chlorine and Potassium. It is white when solid and dissolves easily in water.

    Potassium is a single element in group 1 of the periodic table. It is a metal, Grey in colour and soft, you can cut it with a knife. It fizzes when dropped in water to form an alkali.

    They are therefore completely different !

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    potassium is an element. Potassium Chloride is a salt made of Potassium and Chlorine.

    You can get dietary potassium from KCl (the Chemical formula for Potassium Chloride) just as you can get sodium from NaCl (Sodium Chloride, or common table salt)

  • 1 decade ago

    Different stuff.. yep, potassium chloride is a salt and potassium is a solid metal that reacts violently with water.

    And oh yeah, potassium chloride is used in lethal injection to stop the heart.

    Source(s): I work in a lab..
  • 1 decade ago

    Potassium chloride is a compound (Two or more elements chemically combined) wheras potassium by itself is one of the elements that make up that compound.

  • 1 decade ago

    No buddy potassium is an element(reactive metal) & potassium chloride is an ionic compound.

  • 1 decade ago

    KCl is a salt made by the ionic bonding of potassium and chlorine ions.

    Potassium itself is an element on the periodic table.

  • 1 decade ago

    You could check, just take some KCl and put it in water. Then take a chunk of Potassium metal and put it in water. See if anything different happens.

    Source(s): Ive done this experiment (by accident) and set half my chem lab on fire.
  • 1 decade ago

    yes they are different; potassium is a single element.

    potassium chloride is two elements: potassium and chlorine.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.