Potassium is a highly reactive metal while argon is an inert gas. Explain this difference based on their electron configurations.

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1. <Identify the electron configuration of potassium (K): Potassium has an atomic number of 19, so its electron configuration is 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^1.>
2. <Identify the electron configuration of argon (Ar): Argon has an atomic number of 18, so its electron configuration is 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6.>
3. <Explain the reactivity of potassium: Potassium has one electron in its outermost shell (4s^1), which it can easily lose to achieve a stable electron configuration similar to the noble gas argon. This makes potassium highly reactive.>
4. <Explain the inertness of argon: Argon has a complete outer electron shell (3s^2 3p^6), which makes it stable and unlikely to react with other elements.>
5. <Conclude the explanation: The difference in reactivity between potassium and argon is due to their electron configurations, where potassium seeks to lose an electron to achieve stability, while argon already has a stable configuration.>