Lithium (Li)
Atomic #3 Group #1

Soft, silvery-white, lightest alkali metal.


Lithium floating in oil
Lithium floating in oil

Word

Pronunciation

/ˈlɪθiəm/ ​(LITH-ee-əm)

Appearance

silvery-white

Chemical properties

Phase at STP

Solid

Melting point

453.65 K ​(180.50 °C, ​356.90 °F)

Boiling point

1603 K ​(1330 °C, ​2426 °F)

Density

0.534 g/cm3 (near room temperature), 0.512 g/cm3 (liquid, melting point)

Atomic Weight

6.94 amu

History and etymology

Etymology

Came from the Greek word λιθoς lithos, meaning stone

Discovered

Johan August Arfwedson (1817)

First isolation

William Thomas Brande (1821)

Isotopes

6Li (stable), 7Li (stable)

Quantum

Electron configuration

1s2 2s1

Orbital diagram

1s[↑↓] 2s[↑]

Quantum numbers of the last electron

n=2, l=0, Ml=0, Ms=+0.5