Lithium

Symbol LiAtomic number 3
Atomic mass
6.941
Thermal conductivity
0.847
Atomic radius
2.05
Covalent radius
1.23
Density
0.534
Atomic volume
13.10
Melting point
453.7
Oxidation states
1
Boiling point
1620
Stable isotopes
2
Heat of vapor.
145.920
Electronegativity
0.98
Heat of fusion
3.00
First ionization
5.392
Specific heat
3.6
Electrical conduct.
0.108
Electron configuration

General descriptionNuclear data
Index

Periodic Table

Chemistry concepts
 
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Lithium

Lithium, like the other alkali metals (Group I), is a sivery-white metal of very high chemical reactivity. It is less dense than water and will react actively with a water surface.

Compounds of lithium have been used in the manufacture of glass and of glazes for dishes and porcelain objects. It is used in lubricants, batteries and antidepressants.

Lithium finds use in nuclear breeder reactors as a coolant and a source for tritium. Tritium is formed by bombarding lithium with fast neutrons. If deuterium-tritium fusion becomes viable as an energy source, then the scarcity of lithium from which to breed tritium would become one of the limitations on the energy resource.

Lithium is contained in the silicate minerals elbaite, lepidolite, neptunite and bikitaite. Other lithium aluminum silicates are spodumene, LiAlSi2O9 and petalite, LiAlSi4O10.

Lithium is found in the phosphate minerals amblygonite and montebrasite.


Atomic dataNuclear data
Electron energy level diagram
Index

Periodic Table

Chemistry concepts

Reference
Pauling
Ch. 26
 
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Lithium Nuclear Data

Z
A
Atomic
Mass (u)
Nuclear
Mass(GeV/c2
Binding
Energy(MeV)
Spin
Natural
Abund.
Half-life
Decay
Q
MeV
3
6
6.015121
5.6016
32.00
1
0.075
stable
...
...
3
7
7.016003
6.5339
39.25
3/2
0.925
stable
...
...
3
8
8.022485
7.4714
41.28
2
...
0.84s
b-
16.0
3
9
9.026789
8.4069
45.34
3/2
...
0.177s
b-
13.6
3
11
11.043908
10.2859
45.54
1/2
...
8.7ms
b-
20.7
Atomic data
Index

Periodic Table

Chemistry concepts

Reference
Rohlf
 
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