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To react, an atom needs to be electrically-charged. The potassium atom has an electronic structure 2,8,8,1...which means that its outer-most shell contains a single electron. Because of the ease with which this single electron can be removed, potassium is very reactive - as all the Group 1 elements are. Ordinarily, potassium metal is made of a mass of individual atoms - with electrons swarming around holding the metal together as a solid: (see metallic bonding). Importantly, on average, the mobile electrons are held in the structure by electrostatic forces which arise from the attraction between them and positively-charged protons within nuclei of the atoms. Again, on average, there are as many electrons (negatively-charged) orbitting atomic nuclei as there are protons (positively-charged) residing in the nuclei. Because of this parity (or equality) of electric charges, a lump of potassium - as is each of the atoms within it - electrically neutral.

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15y ago
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12y ago

because the formal charges of each element cancel each other out. potassium has a +1 charge which is neutralized by the -1 charge of iodine.

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11y ago

An atom of potassium is neutral when the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons in the atom.

This is the case with every atom.

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9y ago

Potassium Iodine is formed from an ionic bond. This is because potassium (K) has one positive electron and Iodine (I) has one negative electron. They balance each other out.

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9y ago

because it contains a strong acid and a strong base

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Q: Why is potassium iodide electrically neutral?
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