Element Poster

Lithium

Origin of the name: The name comes from the Greek word "lithos" which means stone.

Symbol: Li Atomic Number: 3 Atomic Mass: 6.94

Classification: Lithium is an alkali metal which is in group one on the periodic table. Alkali metals are shiny and silvery, they form compounds that are mostly white solids, and they are soluble in water. Alkali metals are also the most reactive metals on the periodic table.

Lithium is in group one on the periodic table. Group one are the alkali metals and they are shiny and silvery looking.

Historical Background: Lithium was first discovered in 1817 by a man named Johan August Arfvedson. Johan was observing a mineral called petalite when he saw it contained an unknown metal. He then named it lithium. Lithium was then used for the treatment of mania (mania is a symptom of bipolar disorder) in the 1800's. There was not much published about it until 1949. An Australian psychiatrist, John Cade published a paper about lithium being used to treat mania.

Physical Properties: Lithium is a solid, very soft, shiny and silvery metal. Its melting point is 180.54 Degrees Celsius (356.97 Fahrenheit), it has a boiling point of about 1,335 Degrees Celsius (2,435 Fahrenheit) and its density is 0.534 grams per cubic centimeter. Chemical Properties: Lithium is not as active as the other alkali metals, but it is still an active element. At room temperature it reacts slowly with water, but it reacts mor rapidly when the temperature rises. Lithium also reacts with most acids. When it reacts with acids it gives off hydrogen gas.

Commercial/Industrial Uses: Lithium is used in batteries. To be more specific, rechargeable, and non-rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable: phones, laptops, cameras, and vehicles. Non-rechargeable: Clocks, toys, and heart pacemakers.

Properties That Make the Element Useful:Because lithium is highly reactive and loses electrons on its outermost shell, it makes it easy for current to flow through a battery. Lithium ions and electrons move back into negative electrodes easily making Li-ions batteries rechargeable.

Where My Element Can Be Found in Nature: You will not find lithium as a metal in nature but rather find it combined in small bits in almost all igneous rocks and waters of mineral springs. The important minerals containing lithium are Spodumene, petalite, lepidolite, and amblygonite Spodumene, petalite, lepidolite, and amblygonite.

Lithium Peroxide absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, and because of this, it is used in space technology.

https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/3/lithium#:~:text=Lithium%20was%20discovered%20from%20a,Greek%20for%20'stone'). https://www.verywellmind.com/lithium-the-first-mood-stabilizer-p3-380277#:~:text=It%20was%20first%20used%20for,the%20treatment%20of%20acute%20mania. https://www.healthline.com/health/mania#:~:text=Mania%20is%20a%20psychological%20condition,common%20symptom%20of%20bipolar%20disorder. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLithium_peroxide&psig=AOvVaw3746KFbqjdkefjOAzRuF5c&ust=1621205024366000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCLjs1c_hzPACFQAAAAAdAAAAABA

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