To draw the Lewis dot diagram for potassium, follow these steps:
- Identify the number of valence electrons: Potassium (K) is in Group 1 of the periodic table, which means it has 1 valence electron.
- Write the element symbol: Write the symbol for potassium, which is ‘K’.
- Place the valence electron: Place a single dot next to the symbol ‘K’ to represent the 1 valence electron. The dot can be placed on any side of the symbol, but it is usually placed on the top, right, bottom, or left side.
Here is the Lewis dot diagram for potassium:
K •
Explanation: The Lewis dot diagram is a simple way to represent the valence electrons of an atom. For potassium, which has only one valence electron, the diagram is straightforward. The single dot represents the lone valence electron that potassium can lose to form a positive ion (K⁺).