lithium
Sign in to saveLithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable, and must be stored in vacuum, inert atmosphere, or inert liquid such as purified kerosene or mineral oil. It exhibits a metallic luster when pure, but quickly corrodes in air to a dull silvery gray, then black tarnish. It does not occur freely in nature, but occurs mainly as pegmatitic minerals, which were once the
AI overview
Lithium is a soft, silvery-white chemical element that is the least dense metal known and highly reactive, requiring special storage conditions to prevent it from catching fire or corroding. It doesn't occur freely in nature but is found mainly in pegmatitic minerals, making it an important resource that must be carefully extracted and handled.
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Chemical data
- Formula
- Li
- Molecular weight
- 7 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- lithium
via PubChem
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- s-block
- Part of
- lithiophilite
- Named after
- stone
- Material used
- spodumene
- Mass
- +6.94
- Image
- Lithium paraffin.jpg
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Article
39 sectionsContents
- Properties
- Atomic and physical
- Isotopes
- Occurrence
- Astronomical
- Terrestrial
- Biological
- History
- Chemistry
- Of lithium metal
- Inorganic compounds
- Organic chemistry
- Production
- Reserves and occurrence
- Lithium triangle and other brine sources
- Hard-rock deposits
- Other sources
- Pricing
- Extraction
- Environmental issues
- Human rights issues
- Applications
- Batteries
- Ceramics and glass
- Lubricating greases
- Metallurgy
- Silicon nano-welding
- Pyrotechnics
- Air purification
- Optics
- Organic and polymer chemistry
- Military
- Nuclear
- Medicine
- Precautions
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
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Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable, and must be stored in vacuum, inert atmosphere, or inert liquid such as purified kerosene or mineral oil. It exhibits a metallic luster when pure, but quickly corrodes in air to a dull silvery gray, then black tarnish. It does not occur freely in nature, but occurs mainly as pegmatitic minerals, which were once the main source of lithium. Due to its solubility as an ion, it is present in ocean water and is commonly obtained from brines. Lithium metal is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride.