Stockholm, London—Johan August Arfwedson,
William Thomas Brande
elements
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Lithium
- José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva
- discovered a lithium aluminium phyllosilicate crystal
- in a mine on the island of Utö, Sweden, in 1800,
- but he didn’t know it contained a new element
- which Johan August Arfwedson determined in 1817.
- Arfwedson let Jöns Jacob Berzelius name
- after the Greek for “stone,”
- but they weren’t able to isolate the element
- which William Thomas Brande did in 1821
- using electrolysis of lithium oxide.
Atomic number 3
- Lithium is the lightest metal,
- the least dense solid element at room temperature,
- highly reactive, and flammable
- It’s used for heat-resistant glasses and ceramics,
- for lubricating greases that are non-corrosive,
- for fireworks that burn red,
- for treating bipolar disorder,
- and for rechargeable batteries.
Lithia waters
- The acclaimed lithia water of Ashland,
- once reputed beneficial to the heart and brain
- and available free from a fountain at the center of town,
- results in a substantial shock to the system.
Lithium may yet provide a cure for what ails us, or at least for what ails our planet. Lithium air batteries could theoretically provide five to fifteen times the specific energy of lithium-ion batteries, competing well with gasoline and diesel.
See also in The book of science:
Readings on wikipedia:
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