Which of the following correctly represents the Lewis dot symbol for a potassium (K) atom?

• A. K with eight dots
• B. K with one dot
• C. K with two dots
• D. K with seven dots

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the Lewis dot symbol represents the valence electrons of an atom as dots placed around the element's chemical symbol.
2. Determine the group number of potassium (K) in the periodic table. Potassium is in Group 1, which means it has 1 valence electron.
3. Since potassium has 1 valence electron, the Lewis dot symbol should have exactly one dot placed around the symbol 'K'.
4. Understand that the dots are placed one at a time on the four sides (top, right, bottom, left) before pairing, so having one dot means a single unpaired valence electron.
5. Therefore, the correct Lewis dot symbol for potassium is 'K' with one dot, representing its single valence electron.