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Most lithium is produced by nuclear reactions. Researchers think that the element is later sent around the galaxy via nova explosions. This allows people on Earth to use lithium for medicine and technology.

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A new NASA-funded study suggests that most of the lithium in our solar system - and even in the galaxy - came from bright stellar explosions called classical novae.

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North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

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This model shows the electrons in blue. Lithium has three electrons arranged in two shells.
Lithium also has three protons, and therefore has the atomic number three.

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The symbol for lithium is "Li."

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Lithium is in Group 1 on the periodic table. It is also in the alkali metal group.

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Lithium is in Group 1 and in Period 2 on the Periodic Table. It is also in the alkali metal group.

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Lithium came from the English "lithia" and the English "-ium" to form the word "lithium" in the early 1800's.

The word lithium comes from the Latin and/or Greek word "lithos," which means stone. The people in this time period thought that lithium could only be found in minerals.

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With its name coming from the Greek and/or Latin word for "stone," people used to think that lithium was only existent in minerals. According to this source, in 1817 or 1818, the element was discovered. Johan August Arfwedson, a Swedish mineralogist, found the element in the mineral petalite called LiAl(Si₂ O₅ )₂ .

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By itself, lithium is a white, soft metal. (The image above shows lithium with a tarnish.)

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The melting point of lithium is 180.5 °C  or 356.9 °F.
The boiling point of lithium is 1,342 °C  or 2,448 °F.
At room temperature, lithium is solid.

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Lithium has an atomic weight of about 6.941 amu. According to  www.lenntech.com, lithium has a density of 0.53 g.cm^-3 at 20 decrees Celsius.

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The 'white gold rush': Inside a lithium mine, where stores of recyclable energy lie | Nightline

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The 'white gold rush': Inside a lithium mine, where stores of recyclable energy lie | Nightline

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(For image and information): 2012rc, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Dye, J. L. (2022, October 4). lithium. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/lithium-chemical-element

https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/li.htm

https://physics.nist.gov/cgi-bin/Compositions/stand_alone.pl?ele=3&ascii=html&isotype=all

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002667.htm

https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2022/mcs2022-lithium.pdf

(Image): James Heilman, MD, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1119.pdf

(Image): Johannes Schneider, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Szklarska D, Rzymski P. Is Lithium a Micronutrient? From Biological Activity and Epidemiological Observation to Food Fortification. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2019 May;189(1):18-27. doi: 10.1007/s12011-018-1455-2. Epub 2018 Jul 31. PMID: 30066063; PMCID: PMC6443601. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6443601/)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2023/how-is-lithium-mined/

Ahazard.sciencewriter, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The SVG Effect, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Oxford Languages (May be found at "https://www.google.com/search?q=lithium+definition&rlz=1CAEOEW_enUS1023&ei=ZF_1Y4DGDaC7kPIPs4qQmAg&oq=lithium+defi&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQARgAMgoIABCRAhBGEPkBMgUIABCRAjIFCAAQkQIyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEOgoIABBHENYEELADOg0IABBHENYEEMkDELADOgQIABBDOgoIABCxAxCDARBDOgcIABCxAxBDOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToICAAQsQMQgwE6CAgAEIAEEMkDOggIABCABBCxAzoOCAAQgAQQsQMQgwEQyQNKBAhBGABQkAVYyAtg2RpoAXABeACAAa0CiAGrB5IBBzEuMi4xLjGYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp&safe=active&ssui=on")

National Center for Biotechnology Information (2023). PubChem Element Summary for AtomicNumber 3, Lithium. Retrieved February 14, 2023 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Lithium.

(For information and image/link): Media Contact: Elizabeth Landau, Media Contact: Karin Valentine. (2020, May 29). Lithium Comes from Exploding Stars. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/lithium-comes-from-exploding-stars.

This image shows lithium with a black nittrate tarnish. | Attribution: Dnn87, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/li.htm

Videos are from YouTube:

(Video): "The 'white gold rush': Inside a lithium mine, where stores of recyclable energy lie | Nightline" - ABC News

(Video): "Lithium 101 | National Geographic" - National Geographic

(Video): "Reaction of Lithium and Water" - North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

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Lithium is a prescription medicine used to treat bipolar disorder. This article focuses on lithium overdose, or toxicity.

Acute toxicity occurs when you swallow too much of a lithium prescription at one time.

Chronic toxicity occurs when you slowly take a little too much of a lithium prescription every day for a while. This is actually quite easy to do, because dehydration, other medicines, and other conditions can easily affect how your body handles lithium. These factors can make the lithium build up to harmful levels in your body.

Acute-on-chronic toxicity occurs when you normally take lithium every day, but one day you take an extra amount. This can be as little as a couple of pills or as much as a whole bottle.

Lithium is a medicine with a narrow range of safety. Significant poisoning can result when the amount of lithium taken is more than this range.

This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.

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To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Lithium is a prescription medicine used to treat bipolar disorder. This article focuses on lithium overdose, or toxicity. Acute toxicity occurs when you swallow too much of a lithium prescription at one time.

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Lithium has eleven isotopes.

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Lithium has one valence electron.

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Lithium is a prescription medicine, but can be dangerous if overdosed. A low amount of toxicity can be the result of taking too much of a lithium dosage once. Chronic toxicity happens when someone takes too much for a longer period of time.

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In natural cases, lithium is not radioactive.

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Lithium carbonate that also battery grade can cost $17,000 per metric ton squared.

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Lithium is used as a treatment for bipolar disorder.

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Although lithium is mostly used in batteries (71% of lithium), it is also used in ceramics and glass (14%), lubricating greases (4%), and more.

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Lithium reacts with water. When water and lithium react, heat, hydrogen gas, and toxic lithium hydroxide are produced. According to New Jersey Health, lithium also reacts "violently" with oxidizing agents such as chlorine, bromine, fluorine. When exposed to air, lithium can be yellow.

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Lithium is naturally occurring and makes up 0.0017 percent of the Earth's crust.

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Lithium can be collected from brine in places such as Silver Peak, Nevada. When collected from brine, the fluids are pumped into ponds for evaporation and become brighter blue during the evaporation process. Next, it is filtered and dried before receiving more processing. Though, most of the lithium supply comes from Australia, China, and Chile.

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When lithium is exposed to flame, a crimson color can be produced. Though when this substance burns stronger, it gives of a white color.