Facts:
- Lithium is the third element in the periodic table, with three protons and the element symbol Li.
- Lithium is an alkali metal.
- Lithium metal burns white, though it imparts a crimson color to a flame.
- Lithium does not occur free in nature, though it is found in nearly all igneous rocks and in mineral springs.
- Pure lithium metal is extremely corrosive and requires special handling.
- Lithium is the lightest metal, with a density about half that of water. In other words, if lithium did not react with water (which it does, somewhat vigorously), it would float.
- Among other uses, lithium is used in medicine, as a heat transfer agent, for making alloys, and for batteries.
- The transmutation of lithium to tritium was the first man-made nuclear fusion reaction.
- The name for lithium comes from Greek" Lithos" which means stone. Lithium occurs in most igneous rocks, although it does not occur free in nature.
- Lithium metal is made by electrolysis of fused lithium chloride.
Uses:
- Lithium works with other elements, drugs, enzymes, hormones, vitamins, and growth factors in the body in many different ways.
- Lithium is used for mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia; for eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia; and for blood disorders, including anemia and low white-cell count.
- Lithium is also used for headache, alcoholism, epilepsy, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disorders, arthritis, a skin condition called seborrhea, and overactive thyroid.
- Other uses include treatment of asthma, Huntington’s disease, Graves' disease, herpes simplex, a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia, Tourette’s syndrome, cyclical vomiting, Meniere's disease, a tingling or “crawling” sensation in the skin, and aggressive behavior in people with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.