Lithium
Arturo Ramirez
Properties
a. Atomic Mass: 6.941
b. Atomic Radius in picometers (pm): 181pm
c. Density: .534 g/cm
d. Melting Point: 180.50 C
e. Boiling Point: 1342 C
f. At room temperature (22°C), this element is a: Solid
g. Appearance: soft silvery metal and is the least dense of all metals
h. Conductivity: it is a good conductor because it is used to make batteries
i. Malleability: can be molded and cut into smaller pieces, but still for full affect
j. Hardness: no, this is a very soft metal sometimes combined with aluminum or magnesium
1. Chemical Properties
a. Flammability:
b. Reactivity: reacts extremely vigorous with water
Identifying Information
A. IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
1. Atomic Structure
Atomic Number:3
Mass Number:6
Protons:3
Neutrons:3
Electrons:0
2.Location on the Periodic Table
It is on the left side and second in the first column. It is under Hydrogen and next to Beryllium, but over Sodium.
History & Discovery
When was your element discovered (or first produced if it is manmade)?
It was discovered in 1817.
Where was your element discovered (or first produced if it is manmade)?
It was discovered in Stockholm, Sweden.
Who first discovered (or first produced if it is manmade) your element?
It was discovered by Johan Arfwedson.
Why/how was your element discovered (or produced if it is manmade)?
It was during analysis of a mineral from Lithium Aluminum.
Applications and Uses
1. Element Applications & Uses
In what ways is your element most commonly used? Where is your element most often found?
It is most commonly used in small lithium batteries for laptops, toys, cell phones, cameras, etc. It is also used in pills for Bipolar and mood disorders and grease for car parts.
3. Compounds
Does your element form specific compounds (or alloys) that have important uses?
Lithium carbonate is used for the treatment of bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Lithium chloride is the one of the most hygroscopic materials known as well as lithium bromide, used for air conditioning and industrialized drying systems.
Fun Facts
1. Name & Symbol
Where does your element’s name and/or symbol come from? Any interesting stories there?
This comes from the Greek work Lithos meaning stone.
2. Other weird/unique/interesting information
If you encountered any other unique, interesting, or downright weird information, please share!
During World War II lithium was used for nuclear applications.
Work Cited
- Element Card: Gray, Theodore W. (2008). The Photographic Card Deck of the Elements.
- Elements Book: Gray, Theodore W. (2009). The Elements: A visual exploration of every known atom in the universe. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.
- Website: http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/3/lithium
- Website: http://periodictable.com/Elements/003/index.html
- Website: http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele003.html