Potassium bromide is an ionic compound, which is a type of salt. It is a stable, white solid that dissolves easily in water. It is not a metal and its properties are very different from the elements it is made of.
Unlike potassium metal, potassium bromide does not react with air or water. The solid form is odorless, and when it is dissolved in water, it can have a pungent, bitter, and salty taste.
found: The compound was prepared by chemists like Antoine Balard in 1826, after he discovered the element bromine.
Made: It is formed in an exothermic reaction when solid potassium metal reacts with liquid bromine. 2K(s)+Br_2(l)rightarrow2KBr(s)+heat
Uses: It is used as a medicine for veterinary medicine to treat seizures in dogs. It was also used in human medicine in the past.
It contains the elements potassium (K) and bromine (Br).
Potassium is in Group 1, an alkali metal.
Bromine is in Group 17, a halogen.
How can potassium bromide be synthesized in a laboratory setting?
What happens when potassium bromide reacts with concentrated sulfuric acid?
Why is KBr often used in infrared spectroscopy despite being hygroscopic?
Why is potassium bromide used in IR spectroscopy rather than other salts like sodium chloride?
How is potassium bromide used in photography, and how has that changed with digital imaging?
What role does KBr play in the manufacture of silver bromide for photographic film?
How does the refractive index of KBr make it useful in optical instruments?
What was potassium bromide historically used to treat in medicine, and why was it discontinued?
Why did potassium bromide gain a reputation for being used to "calm soldiers’ libido" during wartime? Is there scientific basis for this?