Lithium is the third element on the periodic table. It has three protons in its nucleus, its atomic number Z=3.
It is the least dense metallic element, with a density a little over half that of water, 0.53 g/cc.
It belongs to group 1 of the periodic table, that of alkali metals. It is therefore soft and very reactive, although the least reactive of this group. Silvery white/gray in color. Low melting point, 181 ºC.
It is the metal with the highest specific heat and together with its good thermal conductivity make it interesting for heat transfer systems, for example for cooling space probe engines.
It reacts with air to give lithium oxide (with oxygen) and lithium nitride (with nitrogen).
It also reacts violently with water to give lithium hydroxide.
It also reacts hot with carbon dioxide, so that it is capable of reducing the carbon in the latter and producing a black carbon surface.
Lithium hydroxide is capable of sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere and is therefore used in spacecraft and submarines for this purpose.
It is of great importance in batteries (both rechargeable and single-use) due to its high electrochemical potential, although we will see this topic in another video (or videos).
Lithium ion, for example lithium carbonate, is also used as a drug for the treatment of bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depressive disorder.
Combined with sulfur hexafluride it produces a very exothermic reaction that is used to power some types of torpedoes.
Lithium fluoride has applications in optics due to its low refractive index and high transmission index (it is very transparent).
It is very useful in the form of organolithium, which is a set of organometallic compounds, for example butyllithium, very useful in organic synthesis, for example for polymerization.
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