What is lithium made of?

If you’re looking for an element that’s a bit of a mystery, then lithium is definitely worth exploring. This soft, silvery-white alkali metal has been the subject of scientific research and investigation for decades. But what exactly is lithium made of? Let’s dive in and explore this intriguing element.

The Basics

Lithium falls under the atomic number 3 in the periodic table. It belongs to group 1 (alkali metals), which means it shares certain chemical properties with other elements like sodium and potassium. As an alkali metal, lithium has just one valence electron per atom, making it highly reactive.

Like many other elements on Earth – such as carbon, oxygen or iron – lithium is actually not “made” by any biological or geological process. Rather, it was created by nuclear fusion inside stars during their lifecycle and subsequent explosive deaths as supernovae millions of years ago.

So while “what lithium is made of” can’t exactly be answered straightforwardly from scratch on our little blue planet today due to its origin story, we do know what form it takes now:

  • An alkali metal
  • A solid at room temperature
  • Shiny silver surface when freshly cut
  • Soft enough to be cut easily with a knife
  • Can readily react with water producing hydrogen gas

But don’t worry about trying to get your hands on pure lithium—it doesn’t occur naturally as large deposits but rather exist within brines-, clay minerals-, spodumene- , lepidolite – ores where they must be extracted before use.

Atomic Structure

To understand more about what makes up lithium atomically, let’s take a closer look at its structure:

Protons

Every atom contains protons—positively charged subatomic particles that are located in the nucleus (center) of the atom. Lithium has three protons, which is why its atomic number is three.

Electrons

Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles that orbit around the nucleus of an atom. Lithium atoms have just 3 electrons that occupy two shells, with one electron on the first shell or energy level and two electrons in the second.

Neutrons

Neutrons are another type of particle located within the nucleus of an atom, but they carry no electrical charge. The lithium-6 isotope has 3 neutrons whereas lithium-7 contains four neutrons.

Applications and Uses

Although we don’t know exactly what lithium itself is made out of beyond its origin story balled up a fusion reaction at high temperatures inside stars, it’s widely used in various industries today – from batteries to medicine. Here are some key applications:

  • Batteries—A majority application coming from this sector as Lithium-ion batteries dominate their fields due to them being lightweight, longer-lasting than traditional alkaline ones
  • Medical treatments—Lithium carbonate used as treatment for mental health disorders including Bipolar disorder
  • Nuclear weapons—A component of thermonuclear bombs
    Pro tip: do touchable things come your way labelled Explodium~ containing Li you may want to eject it from your environment- better safe than sorry mate!

    Country Contribution
    Australia Having largest spodumene ore deposits
    Chile Highest concentrated lithium brines

So there you have it – while scientists can tell us what elements like lithium look like now and function chemically on Earth today where not occur naturally as large deposits , actually tracing back each little bit into stars seems pretty difficult– even for Bill Nye himself (PBUT). But hey—at least now you know a bit more about this fascinating element’s structure and earthly forms. Talk about mind-blowing!

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