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Potassium Sulfate Formula – Structure, Properties, Uses, Sample Questions

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Potassium is a chemical element with the symbol K. Its atomic number is 19. And it’s electron configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1. It is placed in the first group and fourth period of the periodic table. Potassium is the most important element in plant growth. The largest use of potassium is potassium chloride (KCL). It occurs in soaps, the production of glass, and gun powder. Sulfur is a chemical element with the symbol S. Its atomic number is 16 and its electron configuration is 1s22s22p63s23p4. It is a non-metallic chemical element. It belongs to the oxygen group. It is odorless, tasteless, and light yellow solid. Antoine Lavoisier recognized it as an element in 1777. Sulfur is essential to all living things. It is taken up as sulfate from the soil by plants and algae. It is used in batteries, fungicides, detergents, fertilizers, gunpowder, fireworks, and matches. Oxygen is a chemical element with the symbol O. Its atomic number is 8. Its electron configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p4. It is a member of the charcoal group of the periodic table. It is the most prevalent element on the earth. It is a highly reactive nonmetal. It is mainly used in the production of plastics, steel, glass, and stone products and is also used in rocket propulsion.

Potassium Sulfate Formula 

Potassium Sulfate is an inorganic compound with the formula K2SO4. It is a white water-soluble solid. It is also known as dipotassium sulfate or Sulfuric acid dipotassium salt. It dissolves in water but is insoluble in ethanol. It was a combination of an acid salt with an alkaline salt. It has been known since early in the 14th century and it was studied by Glauber, Boyle, and Tachenius. Potassium Sulfate natural recourses are minerals abundant in the Stassfurt salt. These are cocrystallization of potassium sulfate and sulfates of magnesium calcium and sodium. 

Structure Of Potassium Sulfate

 

Physical Properties Of Potassium Sulfate

  • Potassium Sulfate molar mass is 174.259 g/mol.
  • Its density is 2.66 g/cm3.
  • Its melting point is 1.069°C.
  • And its boiling point is 1.689°C.

Chemical Properties Of Potassium Sulfate

  • The potassium Sulfate chemical formula is K2SO4.
  • Water-soluble potassium sulfate dissolves rapidly and completely in water. Its main characteristics are purity and dissolution rate.

K2SO4 + H2O ⇢ 2K+ + SO42-

  • Potassium Sulfate reacts with Barium Chloride producing Barium Sulfate and Potassium chloride. 

BaCL2 + K2SO4 ⇢ BaSO4 + 2 KCL

Uses Of Potassium Sulfate

  1. Potassium Sulfate is used for fertilizers
  2. It is used as a flash reducer
  3. It is used in pyrotechnics in combination with potassium nitrate to generate purple flame
  4. It is sometimes used as an alternative blast media
  5. It is used for the manufacture of glass
  6. It is used to produce gypsum cement 
  7. It is used for the production of lubricants

Sample Questions

Question 1: How is Potassium Sulfate is formed?

Answer:

Potassium Sulfate is made by reacting potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. It can also be made by reacting potassium chloride with sulfuric acid. It can also be made by reacting sulfuric dioxide, oxygen, and potassium chloride with some water.

Question 2: How many forms of oxygen?

Answer:

There are three forms of oxygen. Oxygen can be delivered in three ways they are,

  1. Liquid oxygen
  2. Compressed oxygen gas 
  3. Via concentrator

The most efficient and least expensive method is  to deliver oxygen therapy at home via an oxygen concentrator 

Question 3: What are the uses of sulfur?

Answer:

Sulfur is most commonly used in the production of Sulfuric acid, which in turn goes into fertilizers batteries, and cleaners. It is also used in the vulcanization of black rubber. And it is used as a fungicide and in black gunpowder. It is used in the processing of ores and refined oil.

Question 4: What are the types of Sulfur?

Answer:

Sulfur has four types of naturally occurring isotopes. They are sulfur-32, sulfur-33, sulfur -34, and sulfur 36. Isotopes are two or more forms of an element. Isotopes differ from each other according to their mass number.

Question 5: List out some of the food sources of potassium?

Answer:

Potassium is available in many foods like vegetables and fruits, for example, Dry fruits are a good source of potassium like apricots, cashew, almonds, and raisins, a vegetable like potatoes, tomatoes, and fruits like bananas, oranges, coconut water, etc.

Question 6: How do you make rhombic sulfur?

Answer:

It is prepared by dissolving ordinary powdered sulfur in carbon disulfide the saturated solutions in then filtered and the filtrate is allowed to evaporate at room temperature. After evaporating carbon disulfide crystals of rhombic Sulphur are obtained crystals of rhombic sulfur.

Question 7: Is Potassium Sulfate harmful?

Answer:

Breathing of Potassium Sulfate can irritate the nose and throat. Potassium Sulfate is a highly corrosive chemical and severely irritates and burns the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.


Last Updated : 20 Dec, 2023
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