Potassium Element: Atomic Number and Atomic Mass

When looking at the block for the element potassium, you will see two numbers: 19 and 39.098. These numbers are significant in understanding the properties of potassium.

Atomic Number

The number 19 represents the atomic number of potassium. Atomic number is a fundamental property of an element, representing the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. Since potassium has 19 protons, its atomic number is 19.

Atomic Mass

On the other hand, the number 39.098 indicates the atomic mass of potassium. Atomic mass is the average mass of all the isotopes for an element, taking into account the abundance of each isotope. In the case of potassium, the atomic mass represents the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of a potassium atom.

In summary, the atomic number of potassium (K) is 19, reflecting the number of protons it has, while the atomic mass of potassium is 39.098, which is the average of all the isotopes for potassium and includes the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of a potassium atom.