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A lithium atom is an atom of the chemical element lithium. Stable lithium is composed of three electrons bound by the electromagnetic force to a nucleus containing three protons along with either three or four neutrons , depending on the isotope , held together by the strong force .
Lithium metal is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride. The nucleus of the lithium atom verges on instability, since the two stable lithium isotopes found in nature have among the lowest binding energies per nucleon of all stable nuclides.
For example, from Fe 2+ + 2 e − ⇌ Fe(s) (–0.44 V), the energy to form one neutral atom of Fe(s) from one Fe 2+ ion and two electrons is 2 × 0.44 eV = 0.88 eV, or 84 907 J/(mol e −). That value is also the standard formation energy (∆ G f °) for an Fe 2+ ion, since e − and Fe( s ) both have zero formation energy.
Even with this proviso, the electrode potentials of lithium and sodium – and hence their positions in the electrochemical series – appear anomalous. The order of reactivity, as shown by the vigour of the reaction with water or the speed at which the metal surface tarnishes in air, appears to be Cs > K > Na > Li > alkaline earth metals,
Bipolar electrochemistry scheme. In electrochemistry, standard electrode potential, or , is a measure of the reducing power of any element or compound.The IUPAC "Gold Book" defines it as; "the value of the standard emf (electromotive force) of a cell in which molecular hydrogen under standard pressure is oxidized to solvated protons at the left-hand electrode".
The chemistry of lithium shows several differences from that of the rest of the group as the small Li + cation polarises anions and gives its compounds a more covalent character. [5] Lithium and magnesium have a diagonal relationship due to their similar atomic radii, [5] so that they show some similarities.
The electrochemical series, which consists of standard electrode potentials and is closely related to the reactivity series, was generated by measuring the difference in potential between the metal half-cell in a circuit with a standard hydrogen half-cell, connected by a salt bridge. The standard hydrogen half-cell: 2H + (aq) + 2e − → H 2 (g)
Naturally occurring lithium (3 Li) is composed of two stable isotopes, lithium-6 (6 Li) and lithium-7 (7 Li), with the latter being far more abundant on Earth. Both of the natural isotopes have an unexpectedly low nuclear binding energy per nucleon (5 332.3312(3) keV for 6 Li and 5 606.4401(6) keV for 7 Li) when compared with the adjacent lighter and heavier elements, helium (7 073.9156(4) keV ...