Lithium in Periodic Table (original) (raw)

Lithium (Li), atomic number 3, the lightest solid chemical element of Group 1 (IA) in the periodic table or alkali metal family has wide industrial application in the present day of the world. The systematic study of alkali metal (lithium, sodium, and potassium) in inorganic chemistry describes their physical and chemical properties which can readily understand by the outer electron configuration of the elements. The alkali metal, lithium is soft, low melting (melting point 180.5 °C), silvery-white body-centered cubic crystal lattice at room temperature but at low temperature, it forms a hexagonal close pack structure. The electron configuration of the lithium atom, 1s 2s , the only 2s electron of the metal takes part in metallic bonding. The large difference between the first and second ionization energy of lithium suggests that the preferred oxidation number or state of metal will be +1 and preferred to form ionic chemical bonding or compounds in chemistry. All the alkali metals give characteristic flame colour due to easy excitation by electromagnetic spectrum (lithium-crimson, sodium-yellow, potassium-violet, rubidium-red-violet, cesium-blue). This fact of alkali metals developed the analytical method for precise estimation by flame photometer. 2 1 1