Potassium (K) is an alkali metal located in group 1 of the periodic table. When it comes to its electrons, potassium tends to lose electrons rather than gain them.
Potassium has one electron in its outermost shell (the valence shell). This single electron is far from the nucleus and is relatively easy for the atom to lose. By losing this electron, potassium achieves the electronic configuration of the nearest noble gas, which is argon. This loss of an electron allows potassium to become a positively charged ion, specifically K+.
In summary, potassium loses one electron to attain stability, which is typical behavior for alkali metals. They prefer to lose one electron to reach a full outer shell, leading to the formation of cations.