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= Tyler's Home - Lithium =

Lithium is the first of the Alkali Metals. It is less dense than water, so it floats. It is gray or white in color. Lithium is used in lithium carbonate pills as well as lithium batteries. Lithium does not occur free in nature, it is found in very small amounts in igneous rocks and in the water of lots mineral springs. Lepidolite, spodumene, petalite and amblygonite are the﻿ most important minerals that have lithium in them.

**History:**

Lithium was first used as a treatment of mania in 1871, based on the urate and lithium connection. Lithium carbonate (the current pill form of lithium) prevents depression. It was created in 1886. As the public learned about lithium, they started using it the water in spas, baths, and beverages. Because most of these mineral waters actually contained only traces of lithium, the dangers of lithium and higher concentrations were not recognized. When a lithium tablet was used as a salt substitute in low-sodium diets, there were many reports of severe lithium side effects, and some deaths. Just as the dangers of lithium were becoming apparent, an Australian psychiatrist named John Cade began treating patients with mania using lithium (1948). He too was led to this approach from a focus on lithium and urate. He had injected guinea pigs with lithium urate and found that they became placid, and somewhat tranquilized. Only later did he determine that the calming effect was from lithium, not urate.

This is a lithium battery.  These are lithium carbonate pills. This is a diagram of a Lithium3 isotope with proper electrons.


 * Symbol: Li || Color: Silvery Gray/White ||
 * Atomic Number: 3 || Melting Point: 180.54 °C ||
 * Atomic Weight: 6.941 || Boiling Point: 1342°C ||
 * Density: 0.535 g/cm 3 || Date of Discovery: 1817 in Sweden ||
 * Descovered by: Johan August Arfwedson || Lithium has one valence electron ||

Isotopes

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