Potassium in Water - part of our "Berzelius Day" uploading 24 videos in 24 hours. Full video containing this reaction at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdevJTGAYY NOTE FROM THE PROFESSOR: Potassium always seems to react particularly violently; 2K + 2H2O → 2KOH + H2. It may just be that we use bigger lumps of it or perhaps the melting point is just right for the metal to begin melting when the reaction is already going strongly. See our 24 reactions playlist as it unfolds at: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6E4F35510525FFF7 Berzelius Day explained: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDXUDq2KLM4 More chemistry at http://www.periodicvideos.com/ Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/periodicvideos And on Twitter at http://twitter.com/periodicvideos From the School of Chemistry at The University of Nottingham: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/chemistry/index.aspx Periodic Videos films are by video journalist Brady Haran http://www.bradyharan.com/