More Science Mumbo-Jumbo
Hey you chemists out there…
I’ve got a question. Like I mentioned earlier, I didn’t pay as much attention in chemistry class as I should have, so I’m playing catch up. Here’s what I’d like to know: If a group of people had access to pure potassium or pure sodium in its elemental metal form in great quantities in nature (never mind how it got there, just bear with me here), would there be a way for humans to harvest it and, say, throw it in a vat/boiler of water and produce energy? I know it both would produce an exothermic reaction, but would it be of any consequence, or just a brief POOF and then nothing? I also know they would produce free hydrogen, which could then burn. But would the potassium and sodium itself generate enough heat to, say, warm a home? If so, how would such a contraption work? If they wanted to use the potassium or sodium to distill hydrogen from water, how would they do that? I’m back to the How Do I Heat My Poor Colonists’ Homes Without Carbon problem. There is carbon in the atmosphere, but the plant life hasn’t condensed it into convenient little bundles of combustible materials for my poor colonists, so I’ve gotta find a replacement.
Another thing: If there is no dissolved sodium or potassium to be found in the rivers/oceans/lakes of a certain planet, how would one go about breaking down a solid chunk of potassium or sodium into something that humans could eat in their diets? I know that regular table salt is NaCl, but are there other salts that can do the same job, or is NaCl the only salt that can perform that function in the human body?
Also, I put 9.5k words on my sci-fi yesterday. I’d say I’m finally back on track after my year-long writing slump. I know that a lot of you are waiting for the first segment of this new sci-fi, but I’m afraid to stop the flow for a day to prep the segment and possibly knock myself out of this much-worked-for groove. The way things are going, you guys might just have to settle for a finished novel in your inboxes, rather than a piece here and there. 
Again, sorry for the wait, and I know I really should put some more comments/art up on the blog, but I’m neck-deep in chemistry right now and am a master procrastinator, so it’s still probably going to be awhile. I really am terrified of falling off track with this sci-fi, as it’s turning out to be very good. I have 45k on it as of this morning, and another 27k on my dragony fantasy romance. The former is going to be my bread and butter, methinks, whereas the latter is me goofing off and writing a story for a friend.
Anyway, if any of you can supply answers to the questions posed above, email me at kingnovel@gmail.com and I will duly fawn over you. 
-Sara King
www.kingfiction.com
Proud Graduate of Odyssey ‘08