Lithium Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Lithium (from Greek:λίθος lithos, 'stone') is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silver-white metal belonging to the Alkali Metal group of chemical elements. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element.
It belongs to group 1 of the periodic table having trivial name alkali metals*. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Lithium in a PDF format.
Lithium Facts
Read key information and facts about element Lithium
| Name | Lithium |
| Atomic Number | 3 |
| Atomic Symbol | Li |
| Atomic Weight | 6.941 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Silver |
| Appearance | silvery-white |
| Classification | Alkali Metal |
| Natural Occurance | Primordial |
| Group in Periodic Table | 1 |
| Group Name | lithium family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 2 |
| Block in Periodic Table | s-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [He] 2s1 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 1 |
| Melting Point | 453.69 K |
| Boiling Point | 1615 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7439-93-2 |
How to Locate Lithium on Periodic Table
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 3 to find Lithium on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Lithium on periodic table look for cross section of group 1 and period 2 in the modern periodic table.
Lithium History
The element Lithium was discovered by A. Arfwedson in year 1817 in Sweden. Lithium was first isolated by W. T. Brande in 1821. Lithium derived its name the Greek word lithos, meaning 'stone'.
| Discovered By | A. Arfwedson |
| Discovery Date | 1817 in Sweden |
| First Isolation | 1821 |
| Isolated by | W. T. Brande |
Arfwedson discovered the alkali in petalite.
Lithium Uses
Lithium is usually identified to be used in batteries. It is also used in aluminum alloys to make cookware more durable and, oddly, as a mood stabilizer in psychiatric medicines.
Lithium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Lithium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 6 | 1 |
| Abundance in Sun | 0.06 | 0.01 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 1700 | 4600 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 17000 | 50000 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 180 | 160 |
| Abundance in Humans | 30 | 27 |
Crystal Structure of Lithium
The solid state structure of Lithium is Body Centered Cubic.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
Unit Cell Parameters
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 351 pm | 351 pm | 351 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | π/2 | π/2 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | Im_ 3m |
| Space Group Number | 229 |
| Crystal Structure | Body Centered Cubic |
| Number of atoms per unit cell | 2 |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Lithium Atomic and Orbital Properties
Lithium atoms have 3 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 1] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 2S1/2.
| Atomic Number | 3 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 3 |
| Number of Protons | 3 |
| Mass Number | 7 |
| Number of Neutrons | 4 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 1 |
| Electron Configuration | [He] 2s1 |
| Valence Electrons | 2s1 |
| Valence (Valency) | 1 |
| Main Oxidation States | 1 |
| Oxidation States | 1 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 2S1/2 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Lithium - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Lithium - neutral Lithium atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Lithium
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Lithium atom is [He] 2s1. The portion of Lithium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [He]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 2s1, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Lithium
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Lithium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s1
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
Atomic Structure of Lithium
Lithium atomic radius is 167 pm, while it's covalent radius is 134 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 167 pm(1.67 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 145 pm (1.45 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 13.02 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 134 pm (1.34 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | 182 pm |
| Neutron Cross Section | 0.045 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | - |
Spectral Lines of Lithium - Atomic Spectrum of Lithium
A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.
Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.
Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.
Emission spectrum of Lithium
Absorption spectrum of Lithium
Lithium Chemical Properties: Lithium Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Lithium is 59.6 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 1 |
| Electronegativity | 0.98 |
| ElectronAffinity | 59.6 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Lithium
Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Lithium
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 520.2 |
| 2nd | 7298.1 |
| 3rd | 11815 |
Lithium Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Lithium Physical Properties
| Density | 0.535 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $0.512 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 13.02 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 4.9 |
| Shear Modulus | 4.2 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 11 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | - |
Hardness of Lithium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | 0.6 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | - |
| Brinell Hardness | - |
Lithium Electrical Properties
Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).
Lithium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Lithium
| Electrical conductors | Conductor |
| Electrical Conductivity | 11000000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 9.4e-8 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | - |
Lithium Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 85 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.000046 /K |
Lithium Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 2.56e-8 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.78e-10 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.00000137 |
Optical Properties of Lithium
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Lithium
| Speed of Sound | 6000 m/s |
Lithium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Lithium
| Melting Point | 453.69 K(180.54 °C, 356.972 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 1615 K(1341.85 °C, 2447.330 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | 3223 K |
| Superconducting Point | - |
Enthalpies of Lithium
| Heat of Fusion | 3 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 147 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | -298 J/(kg K) |
Lithium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Lithium
Lithium has 10 isotopes, with between 3 and 12 nucleons. Lithium has 2 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Lithium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 6Li, 7Li.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Li | 3 | 0 | 3 | Synthetic | ||
| 4Li | 3 | 1 | 4 | Synthetic | ||
| 5Li | 3 | 2 | 5 | Synthetic | ||
| 6Li | 3 | 3 | 6 | 7.59% | Stable | N/A |
| 7Li | 3 | 4 | 7 | 92.41% | Stable | |
| 8Li | 3 | 5 | 8 | Synthetic | ||
| 9Li | 3 | 6 | 9 | Synthetic | ||
| 10Li | 3 | 7 | 10 | Synthetic | ||
| 11Li | 3 | 8 | 11 | Synthetic | ||
| 12Li | 3 | 9 | 12 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.
| DOT Numbers | 1415 |
| DOT Hazard Class | 4.3 |
NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.
The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.
| NFPA Fire Rating | 2 | Flash Points Above 37.8°C (100°F) not exceeding 93.3°C (200°F) |
| NFPA Health Rating | 3 | Flash Points below 37.8°C (100°F) |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | 2 | Flash Points Above 37.8°C (100°F) not exceeding 93.3°C (200°F) |
| NFPA Hazards | Water Reactive |
| Autoignition Point | 179 °C |
| Flashpoint | - |
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7439-93-2 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSOJ5540000 |
| CID Number | CID3028194 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Lithium with other elements
Compare Lithium with Group 1, Period 2 and Alkali Metal elements of the periodic table.
Compare Lithium with all Group 1 elements
Compare Lithium with all Period 2 elements
Compare Lithium with all Alkali Metal elements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Lithium