Lithium Facts For Kids: Learn All About This Alkali Metal

Lithium, a soft metal with a silvery-white color, is a chemical element with atomic number 3 and the symbol 'Li.'

The word lithium comes from 'lithos,' the Greek word for 'stone.' Johan Arfvedson discovered lithium in 1817 in Stockholm, Sweden, while analyzing petalite (LiAlSi4O10).

He couldn't completely isolate the pure lithium, but he could isolate one of its salts. It wasn't until 1821 that William Thomas Brande isolated it by electrolysis of lithium oxide, a method that chemist Sir Humphry Davy had previously used.

By 1855, Robert Bunsen and Augustus Matthiessen had successfully electrolyzed molten lithium chloride to produce the metal. The German business Metallgesellschaft AG began commercial production of this metal in 1923. Let's learn some more facts about lithium.

Classification Of Lithium As Element

Lithium is called an alkali metal. Alkali metals get their name from the fact that they produce alkalies when they react with water. Although not as vigorously as other alkali metals, lithium reacts readily with water. Hydrogen and lithium hydroxide are produced as a result of the reaction.

Lithium is present in Group 1 (IA) of the periodic table as it has only one electron in its valance shell. The lithium atom has an electron configuration of 1s²2s¹ as it has 3 electrons, and hence its atomic number is 3. It has an atomic weight of 6.941 amu.

Lithium undergoes oxidation when it reacts with oxygen or air. It can conduct heat and electricity as well. It has a silvery, shiny appearance (luster), and it loses its one valance electron to form ionic bonds with non-metals. For the above reasons, lithium is classified as a metal.

Properties Of Lithium

Lithium is the least heavy solid metal, and it is the least dense of the solid elements at room temperature. Lithium floats on water and the lightest hydrocarbon oils.

Some physical properties of lithium include the fact that it has the largest mass-specific heat capacity of all solids, with 3.58 kJ/kg K. It has a 24.8 J/mol C molar specific heat capacity. It has the highest melting point of 356.9 F (180.50 C) and boiling point of 2447.6 F (1,342 C) of all the alkali metals.

Lithium is a chemically-active metal that rapidly loses one of its three electrons to generate Li+ cation-containing compounds. It is the alkali metal with the least reactivity, and lithium in molten form is far more reactive than in solid form.

It forms monoxide and peroxide when it combines with oxygen. Lithium is one of the rare metals that reacts with nitrogen gas. Lithium salts give off a vivid crimson hue when put over a flame, but when the metal burns vigorously, the flame turns a beautiful silver color.

Lithium has seven isotopes with known half-lives, ranging in mass from 5-11. Natural lithium is found as a combination of its two stable isotopes, 6Li and 7Li, which have natural abundances of 7.6% and 92.4%, respectively.

Uses Of Lithium

In the aerospace and other industries, lightweight lithium-magnesium alloys and tough lithium-aluminum alloys (which are harder than aluminum alone) are used.

Consumer electronics such as PCs and cell phones use lithium batteries. The majority of lithium metal produced is utilized to manufacture rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and mobile gadgets.

Lithium metal and its complex hydrides, such as Li[AlH4], are used in rocket propellants as high-energy additions. Lithium aluminum hydride is used as a solid fuel on its own. Lithium stearate is a high-temperature and all-purpose lubricant, and it's a great thickening and lubricating grease for high-temperature applications.

Lithium-6 deuteride is the fusion fuel in today's hydrogen bombs; it is converted to tritium early in the fusion process. Lithium carbonate and lithium citrate are prescribed medications for bipolar affective disorder.

Occurrence And Production

Lithium occurs less abundantly in the solar system, and the element is available in the seawater, rocks, and brine on Earth.

Older stars have a smaller amount of lithium than younger stars. In the older stars, it is destroyed in the interior, but younger stars have abundant lithium. The occurrence of lithium was first discovered in the Nova System in 2013. It was found in May 2020 that lithium is produced in high amounts in the galaxy during nova explosions.

Due to its high reactivity, pure lithium is not readily available in nature. In rocks, the element is found in high concentrations in granites. As of 2021, much of the lithium mined worldwide has originated from 'spodumene,' a mineral found in hard rocks in countries like Australia and North Carolina, or underground brine, in Chile.

Australia, Chile, China, and Argentina were the top four lithium-producing countries in the world in 2019. This metal is made by electrolyzing a measurement of 55% lithium chloride and 45% potassium chloride combination at 842 F (450C).

Water pollution from lithium extraction can be harmful to aquatic life. Surface and drinking water contamination, respiratory difficulties, ecological deterioration, and landscape destruction have all been linked to lithium extraction.

FAQs

What is unique about lithium?

Lithium is the lightest metal and so soft that it can be cut using a kitchen knife. It is one of the three elements, along with hydrogen and helium, that was created during the Big Bang.

What are three things lithium is used for?

Lithium metal is used to make rechargeable batteries for various electronic devices and automobiles. It is used in the medical field as a mood stabilizer, and it is used in fireworks to impart color and sparks.

Where can lithium be found in nature?

The pure metal can be found in minute concentrations in practically all igneous rocks and many in many mineral springs. Plant and animal tissues contain trace levels of this substance.

What is the compound of lithium?

Lithium hydride (LiH), Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3), and spodumene (LiAlSi2O6) are some lithium compounds.

How much does the element lithium cost per gram?

Lithium costs about $0.09 per gram.

What is the lightest solid element?

Lithium is the lightest solid element.

What is the hardness of lithium?

Lithium has a Mohs hardness of 0.6.

How does lithium form an ion?

An atom of lithium has 3 electrons, and it can lose its one valance electron, forming lithium ions.

How much lithium is left in the world?

The US Geological Survey projected global identified reserves of this metal in 2020 and 2021 to be around 17 million and 21 million tonnes, respectively.

How did lithium get on Earth?

Exploding White Dwarf stars provided a large portion of the lithium on Earth. The Big Bang generated hydrogen, helium, and a trace of lithium.

Which country is rich in lithium?

With around 9.2 million tonnes of lithium, Chile has the largest lithium metal deposits.

Who first discovered lithium?

Johan August Arfwedson was the first person to discover lithium.

Is lithium on other planets?

According to new research, lithium might be present in low proportions beneath the ice surfaces of Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus.