What is true about lithium?

Answer 1

• A soft, silvery, highly reactive metallic element that is used as a heat transfer medium, in thermonuclear weapons, and in various alloys, ceramics, and optical forms of glass. Atomic number 3; atomic weight 6.941; melting point 179°C; boiling point 1,317°C; specific gravity 0.534; valence 1.

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Also now familiar in batteries, and medicinally.

Answer 2

Lithium's Uses

Lithium is used to treat people who are suffering from Bipolar disorder. While lithium cannot cure the disease, it eases the symptoms. It is also used to fuel torpedos, where blocks of lithium are melted by electric sparks before reacting with sulphur hexafluoride to produce heat. Lithium is used to make many different types of batteries, ceramics, enamels, dyes, rubber products and glass including lenses for glasses and telescopes. It is also often used in compounds such as lithium hydride, which inflates many life boats and balloons, or lithium deuteride, which used in the explosively active part of H-bombs.

The Discovery Of Lithium

Lithium was discovered by Swedish chemist, Johann August Arfvedson in 1817. He discovered it inside a mineral called petalite. Arfvedson was trying to identify the elements which made up petalite, but was unable to figure out what the last 10% was. He decided it must be a new element, so he named it lithium from the Greek word "lithos" which means "stone".

Physical And Chemical Properties

Physical properties: Lithium is the lightest metal and is very soft and silvery. It has a boiling point of 1335 degrees C and a melting point of 180.54 degrees C. The Mohs scale tells you how hard something, is the hardest being 10 and the softest being 0. Lithium's rating on the Mohs scale is 0.6, which means that it is soft enough to be scratched with a fingernail. The density of Lithium is 0.534 grams per cubic cm.

Chemical properties: Lithium is one of the alkali metals, which means that it is an active element although not as active as the others in that group. It reacts with water and most acids giving off hydrogen. When temperatures are over 100 decrees C lithium reacts with oxygen to make lithium oxide. Lithium can also react with sulphur, hydrogen, nitrogen and the halogen elements.

Health Hazards Concerning Lithium

Lithium is very flammable. When lithium is in a fire it gives off irritating and toxic fumes. The side effects of inhaling these fumes are a burning sensation, cough, laboured breathing, sore throat and shortness of breath. The side effects of consuming lithium are abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, a burning sensation, nausea, weakness, vomiting, going into shock and collapsing. The side effects of having lithium on the skin are redness, burns and blisters. The side effects of the eyes coming into contact with lithium include severe burns, pain and redness.

Environmental Effects Of Lithium

Lithium reacts with oxygen and water vapour in the air creating lithium hydroxide. Lithium hydroxide can be a dangerous substance because it is highly corrosive and has the ability to be very destructive.

Where To Find Lithium

Every kilogram of the earth's crust contains 0.00002kg of Lithium making it the 25th most abundant element. When it is found, it is found in very small amounts. The largest amount of lithium in one place is 5.4 million tons in the Salar de Uyuni area of Bolivia. Next is Chile with 3 million and then the United States with 760,000 tons. It is mined in countries such as Australia (W.A), Russia, USA, China, Chile, Zimbabwe and Canada. Chile, Argentina and the United States also produce lithium from brine pools. It has been estimated that earth contains 35 million tons of lithium of which only 15 million tons is currently being mined.

Answer 3

Lithium is used to treat people who are suffering from bipolar disorder. While lithium cannot cure the disease, it eases the symptoms. It is also used to fuel torpedos, where blocks of lithium are melted by electric sparks before reacting with sulphur hexafluoride to produce heat. Lithium is used to make many different types of batteries, ceramics, enamels, dyes, rubber products and glass including lenses for glasses and telescopes. It is also often used in compounds such as lithium hydride, which inflates many life boats and balloons, or lithium deuteride, which used in the explosively active part of H-bombs.