Alkali Metals

Some Alkali Metal Examples

• Lithium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Rubidium
• Cesium

Interesting Facts

• When added to water alkali metals react to create hydrogen gas and a hydroxide group.
• The amount of heat given off by this reaction is sometimes enough to ignite the hydrogen gas.
• Alkali metals are so reactive they cannot be found in their pure form and are instead found as salts.

Alkali metals can be found in many products ranging from standard products to some odd uses. One of the products that contains an alkali metal is basic table salt. Another item that can contain alkali metals is toothpaste. Finally some plane parts utilize lithium to create ultralight alloys and parts.

Lithium (Some that I own)

Lithium is a soft silvery metal that darkens upon exposure to air due to oxidation.

Lithium

• Lithium is atomic number 3
• The atomic mass of lithium is 6.941 amu
• Lithium is a metal
• The density of lithium is 0.534 g/cm^3
• Lithium's density is so low it would float on water, even as a metal

Lithium's uses are limited because of its reactivity. One of the uses of lithium is in lithium ion batteries. Another use is in glasses or ceramics. A final use is in certain bipolar disorder medications.

Interesting Facts

• Some compounds of lithium are among the most hygroscopic compounds known.
• Lithium was one of three elements produced in the big bang.
• The isotope Li-6 can be used to produce tritium for thermonuclear weapons.

Historical Facts

• Lithium was first observed to be a new element in the year 1817.
• Lithium was first produced in bulk by electrolysis in the year 1855.