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Compare Potassium vs Scandium

Comparing Potassium (K) and Scandium (Sc). Atomic numbers 19 and 21 with atomic masses 39.098 u and 44.956 u, classified as alkali metal and transition metal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.

vs
K
Potassium
#19
Sc
Scandium
#21

Periodic properties of the elements

PotassiumScandium
SymbolKSc
Atomic number1921
Group13
Period44
Blocksd
Element categoryAlkali MetalTransition Metal

Physical properties

PotassiumScandium
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density0.862 g/cm32.985 g/cm3
Atomic weight39.0983 u44.9559 u
Melting point336.7 K
63.55 °C
146.39 °F		1814 K
1540.85 °C
2805.53 °F
Boiling point1032 K
758.85 °C
1397.93 °F		3109 K
2835.85 °C
5136.53 °F

Atomic properties

PotassiumScandium
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)0.821.36
Electron affinity48.383 kJ/mol18 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−1, +1
(a strongly basic oxide)		0, +1, +2, +3
(an amphoteric oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 418.8 kJ/mol
  2. 3052 kJ/mol
  3. 4420 kJ/mol
  4. 5877 kJ/mol
  5. 7975 kJ/mol
  6. 9590 kJ/mol
  7. 11343 kJ/mol
  8. 14944 kJ/mol
  9. 16963.7 kJ/mol
  10. 48610 kJ/mol
  11. 54490 kJ/mol
  12. 60730 kJ/mol
  13. 68950 kJ/mol
  14. 75900 kJ/mol
  15. 83080 kJ/mol
  16. 93400 kJ/mol
  17. 99710 kJ/mol
  18. 444880 kJ/mol
  19. 476063 kJ/mol
  1. 633.1 kJ/mol
  2. 1235 kJ/mol
  3. 2388.6 kJ/mol
  4. 7090.6 kJ/mol
  5. 8843 kJ/mol
  6. 10679 kJ/mol
  7. 13310 kJ/mol
  8. 15250 kJ/mol
  9. 17370 kJ/mol
  10. 21726 kJ/mol
  11. 24102 kJ/mol
  12. 66320 kJ/mol
  13. 73010 kJ/mol
  14. 80160 kJ/mol
  15. 89490 kJ/mol
  16. 97400 kJ/mol
  17. 105600 kJ/mol
  18. 117000 kJ/mol
  19. 124270 kJ/mol
  20. 547530 kJ/mol
  21. 582163 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

PotassiumScandium
Shorthand configuration[Ar] 4s1 [Ar] 3d1 4s2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d1 4s2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 8, 12, 8, 9, 2

History

PotassiumScandium
PredictionDmitrij Mendelejev (1871)
DiscoveryHumphry Davy (1807)Lars Fredrik Nilson (1879)
First isolationHumphry Davy (1807)Lars Fredrik Nilson (1879)
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