Lithium
Hi, my name is Lithium. In 1817 a scientist by the name of Johann Arfvedson of discovered me in Sweden. I am the third element on the Periodic Table. My symbol is Li and my atomic mass is 6.941, which makes me the lightest metal and my density is only about half that of water. It takes a temperature of 180.54 C to melt me and 1347 C to make me boil. I do not occur free in nature because I like to “bond” with other elements (wink wink). The elements and minerals that I combined with a lot are Lepidolite, spodumene, petalite, amblygonite, fluoride, bromine, chlorine, iodine, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium and nitrogen. When it comes to what I do in the world I do a lot of things to help people. I’m in batteries, lubricants, manic-depressant medicine and ceramics. The most famous battery that I am in is the Energizer batteries with lithium, me. I help keep the bunny going and going and going and. . .the reason for me being in batteries is that I am a good conductor of electricity and I have the highest electrochemical potential. That is why I am an anode in high-performance batteries. Other lithium compounds are used for dry cells and storage batteries. I am also in thermonuclear weapons, various alloys, optical forms of glass, fuel for aircraft and under-water buoyancy devices. After WW2 I was used as an industrial metal because my specific heat is really high.