Meet the lightest metal in existence. A chunk of lithium floats on water — and even on oil. You can slice it with a kitchen knife. At just 0.534 g/cm³, it's barely half the density of water. It feels more like soap than metal.
Yet this featherweight powers the modern world. Lithium-ion batteries run every smartphone, laptop, and Tesla on the road. Lithium salts have treated bipolar disorder since 1949. And here's the wildest part: lithium was forged in the Big Bang itself — one of just three elements born with the universe.
Most of the world's lithium sits in the "lithium triangle" — Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina hold 75% of global reserves. It's extracted from salt flats and the mineral petalite. Demand grows every year as electric vehicles, solar farms, and wind turbines all need lithium batteries to store energy.
Scientists are hunting for new sources. Lithium exists even in seawater — but in tiny concentrations. Recycling old batteries is becoming the new gold rush: up to 95% of lithium can be recovered and reused in production.
Metallic lithium ignites on contact with water or moist air. The reaction is milder than sodium's, but it releases hydrogen gas that can catch fire. Store lithium under mineral oil or inert gas. Damaged lithium batteries can burst into flames reaching 600 °C — never puncture, disassemble, or throw them into fire. Lithium salts used in medicine require careful blood monitoring: the gap between a therapeutic and toxic dose is dangerously small.
Lithium is the only metal that floats on water and even on kerosene. Its density is 0.534 g/cm³ — roughly half that of water.
Lithium is one of only three elements created in the Big Bang. Along with hydrogen and helium, it appeared minutes after the birth of the universe.
Lithium salts have saved thousands of lives. Since 1949, they've treated bipolar disorder. Scientists still don't fully understand how they work.
A lithium-ion battery stores 5 times more energy than a lead-acid battery of the same weight. That's why your phone lasts all day.
Lithium burns with a bright crimson flame. That's why it's added to fireworks and signal flares to create vivid red colors.
75% of the world's lithium reserves are in the "lithium triangle" — Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. It's the strategic resource of the 21st century.
| Isotope | Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-life | Decay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
6Li | 6.015123 | 7.59% | stable | — |
7Li | 7.016005 | 92.41% | stable | — |
Analysis of petalite ore