potassium
Let an agent identify potassium and its properties, relay isotopes, compounds, production and uses from reference sources, describe biological and dietary roles in general terms, and distinguish the element from potash and its salts.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Identify What potassium is.
Properties
Properties.
Properties
Properties.
- What are the physical and chemical properties of potassium? definition
- Is the question about the element, potash or dietary potassium? boundary
Isotopes
Isotopes.
Isotopes
Isotopes.
- Which isotopes exist, and how is potassium-40 used in dating? definition
- Which entry fits the specific isotope? action
Produce Compounds and production.
Compounds
Compounds and potash.
Compounds
Compounds.
- What are the major potassium compounds, and how is potash mined and used? provenance
- Which entry fits potash? action
Metal
Potassium metal.
Metal
Metal.
- How is potassium metal produced, and where is it used? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Life Biology and diet.
Biology
Potassium in cells.
Biology
Biology.
- What role does potassium play in cells, nerves and plants? provenance
- Which entry fits potassium in biology? action
Diet
Dietary potassium.
Diet
Diet.
- What do guidelines say about potassium intake and blood pressure, in general terms? provenance
- Is the user asking for personal dietary or medical advice, which needs a professional? boundary
Context History and safety.
Discovery
Discovery.
Discovery
Discovery.
- How was potassium isolated by Davy in 1807, and why is it called kalium in many languages? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of chemistry? action
Safety
Safety.
Safety
Safety.
- How is potassium metal handled safely? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.MAT
- Other names and narrower kinds
- potassium-32, potassium-33, potassium-34, potassium-35, potassium-36, potassium-37, potassium-38, potassium-43, potassium-44, potassium-45, potassium-46, potassium-47
What it is Filled
A chemical element with symbol K and atomic number 19, a soft, silvery alkali metal that reacts violently with water, occurring in minerals such as sylvite and in seawater, essential to all living cells as the main intracellular cation and to plants as a major nutrient supplied by potash fertilisers, and used in compounds for glass, soap and chemicals; potassium has two stable isotopes and the long-lived radioactive potassium-40 used in dating, with many short-lived isotopes from potassium-32 upward, and dietary potassium is important for blood pressure.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent identify potassium and its properties, relay isotopes, compounds, production and uses from reference sources, describe biological and dietary roles in general terms, and distinguish the element from potash and its salts.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Highly reactive
- Main intracellular cation
- Fertiliser nutrient
- Potassium-40 dating
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Assist anyone in using potassium or its compounds to harm people.
- Handle or store metallic potassium outside a properly equipped laboratory setting.
- Advise a person to take potassium supplements or salts without medical guidance.
- Release metallic potassium into water, drains or waste.
Only with a human decision
- Any handling or disposal of metallic potassium.
- Advice on potassium intake for people with kidney or heart conditions.
May
- Describe potassium's properties, occurrence and role in living cells from sources.
- Explain dietary potassium and its sources in general terms.
Moral aspects Filled
- Metallic potassium is a fire and injury risk; its handling belongs to trained people.
- Too much or too little potassium in the blood can stop the heart.
Who is affected
- Laboratory workers
- Patients with kidney or heart disease
- Waste handlers
Owners Filled
Steward
The laboratory or company that holds it, under chemical safety rules.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q19557 - registry parent class
- Q208106 - registry parent class
- Q428766 - registry parent class
related
- alkali metal - in registry terms
- s-block - element in registry terms
- light metal - in registry terms
- cell - as the main intracellular cation
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.potassium
- Wikidata: Q703 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q703)
- symbol: K
- CAS: 7440-09-7
Direct properties required Filled
- atomic number: 19 Z
- standard atomic weight: 39.098 u
- melting point: 63.5 degrees C
- potassium-40 half-life: 1.25 billion years
Recognition required Filled
- Element 19, symbol K
- Alkali metal of potash and cell potassium
- Potash is a group of potassium salts; sodium is the neighbouring alkali metal
- A soft silvery metal that tarnishes rapidly and burns with a lilac flame.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- relay properties and isotopes
- explain compounds and uses
- relay biological and dietary roles
- distinguish from potash
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Fire and explosion with water
- Hyperkalaemia and hypokalaemia
- Confusing potassium with potash
- Agents giving personal dietary or medical advice
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Chemical safety rules for reactive metals
- Fertiliser regulations
- Dietary guidelines on potassium intake
- Radiation rules for potassium-40 in food are minimal
Context of use required Filled
- Fertilisers, chemicals and biological function.
- potassium metal
- potassium compounds such as chloride, hydroxide, nitrate and carbonate
- stable potassium-39 and potassium-41, radioactive potassium-40 and short-lived isotopes such as potassium-32 to potassium-37
- potash fertilisers
- dietary potassium
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q703: potassium - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Potassium - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should potash and dietary potassium be separate primary entries?
- How should health guidelines be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases naming short-lived isotopes; should they be split off?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q703/spec.json