answersLogoWhite

0

Lithium was first prepared in its simple substance metallic form in 1817, though its salts were known before this date. Atomic numbers, however, were not discovered until the analysis of X-ray line spectra by the British scientist Moseley in 1913. Lithium was among the first set of elements to have its atomic number 3 assigned in 1913. In the periodic system it was assigned position 2 in the order of atomic weights until the discovery of helium in 1895 pushed it back to position 3.

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

What else can I help you with?