Lithium elemental properties

To which class of elements do lithium, sodium, and potassium belong What are their elemental properties ... 

The properties of the head element of a main group in the periodic table resemble those of the second element in the next group. Discuss this diagonal relationship with particular reference to (a) lithium and magnesium, (b) beryllium and aluminium. 

Lead Telluride. Lead teUuride [1314-91 -6] PbTe, forms white cubic crystals, mol wt 334.79, sp gr 8.16, and has a hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale. It is very slightly soluble in water, melts at 917°C, and is prepared by melting lead and tellurium together. Lead teUuride has semiconductive and photoconductive properties. It is used in pyrometry, in heat-sensing instmments such as bolometers and infrared spectroscopes (see Infrared technology AND RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY), and in thermoelectric elements to convert heat directly to electricity (33,34,83). Lead teUuride is also used in catalysts for oxygen reduction in fuel ceUs (qv) (84), as cathodes in primary batteries with lithium anodes (85), in electrical contacts for vacuum switches (86), in lead-ion selective electrodes (87), in tunable lasers (qv) (88), and in thermistors (89). 

No fewer than 14 pure metals have densities se4.5 Mg (see Table 10.1). Of these, titanium, aluminium and magnesium are in common use as structural materials. Beryllium is difficult to work and is toxic, but it is used in moderate quantities for heat shields and structural members in rockets. Lithium is used as an alloying element in aluminium to lower its density and save weight on airframes. Yttrium has an excellent set of properties and, although scarce, may eventually find applications in the nuclear-powered aircraft project. But the majority are unsuitable for structural use because they are chemically reactive or have low melting points." ... 

The alkali metals form a homogeneous group of extremely reactive elements which illustrate well the similarities and trends to be expected from the periodic classification, as discussed in Chapter 2. Their physical and chemical properties are readily interpreted in terms of their simple electronic configuration, ns, and for this reason they have been extensively studied by the full range of experimental and theoretical techniques. Compounds of sodium and potassium have been known from ancient times and both elements are essential for animal life. They are also major items of trade, commerce and chemical industry. Lithium was first recognized as a separate element at the beginning of the nineteenth eentury but did not assume major industrial importance until about 40 y ago. Rubidium and caesium are of considerable academic interest but so far have few industrial applications. Francium, the elusive element 87, has only fleeting existence in nature due to its very short radioactive half-life, and this delayed its discovery until 1939. 

The Group 1 elements are soft, low-melting metals which crystallize with bee lattices. All are silvery-white except caesium which is golden yellow "- in fact, caesium is one of only three metallic elements which are intensely coloured, the other two being copper and gold (see also pp. 112, 1177, 1232). Lithium is harder than sodium but softer than lead. Atomic properties are summarized in Table 4.1 and general physical properties are in Table 4.2. Further physical properties of the alkali metals, together with a review of the chemical properties and industrial applications of the metals in the molten state are in ref. 11. 

The small size of lithium frequently confers special properties on its compounds and for this reason the element is sometimes termed anomalous . For example, it is miscible with Na only above 380° and is immiscible with molten K, Rb and Cs, whereas all other pairs of alkali metals are miscible with each other in all proportions. (The ternary alloy containing 12% Na, 47% K and 41% Cs has the lowest known mp, —78°C, of any metallic system.) Li shows many similarities to Mg. This so-called diagonal relationship stems from the similarity in ionic size of the two elements / (Li ) 76pm, / (Mg ) 72pm, compared with / (Na ) 102pm. Thus, as first noted by Arfvedson in establishing lithium as a new element, LiOH and LiiCOs are much less soluble than the corresponding... 

Explain why lithium differs from the other Group 1 elements in its chemical and physical properties. Give two examples to support your explanation. 

One early attempt to organize the elements clustered them into groups of three, called triads, whose members display similar chemical properties. Lithium, sodium, and potassium, for example, have many common properties and were considered to be a triad. This model was severely limited, for many elements could not be grouped into triads. The triad model is just one of nearly 150 different periodic arrangements of the elements that have been proposed. 

Organometallic compounds vary widely in their properties and reactivity, just as do the elements from which they are produced. These compounds may be lithium alkyls, Grignard reagents, or organotin compounds. Accordingly, there is no universal method for preparing the compounds, but we will present here some of the types of reactions that have been widely employed. 

Table 1. Comparison of Some Chemical and Physical Properties of Lithium with Closely Related Elements...

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