It is also the lightest metal on Earth. Lithium is nonferrous, toxic and extremely reactive with water. It is so soft that it can be cut with a kitchen knife and has a low density, which makes it float on water.
Lithium is also termed a 'cosmic' metal as it is among the only three elements created at the beginning of our universe, according to NASA. A study funded by the American space agency revealed that the big bang created a small amount of lithium when the universe was formed initially, but "the majority of lithium gets manufactured in the nuclear reactions that power the nova explosions".
According to the study, the nova explosions distributed the mineral throughout the galaxy. Most of the lithium we use in electronics and medicine today is delivered by the nova explosions. As for its discovery on Earth, it took some time to isolate lithium. A Brazilian naturalist and statesman, Jozé Bonifácio de Andralda-e-Silva discovered the mineral petalite on the Swedish isle Utö in the 1790s, (Royal Society of Chemistry). Swedish chemist Johan August Arfwedson discovered this petalite in 1817, but wasn't able to entirely isolate the metal, though he did isolate one of its salts.
Bu hikaye Scientific India dergisinin March-April 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Scientific India dergisinin March-April 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
An insight into Chandipura virus in India
Recently lot of news regarding disease due to Chandipura virus has emerged in various newspapers/magazines. After reading the reports published it seems that thing is still brewing in the natures nest and it could affect mankind.
Why elephants never forget?
An elephant has a very large brain for its size and the 'temporal lobe' region responsible for memory is more developed with a greater number of folds - this results in powerful abilities to 'download' important survival data such as where to find food and water, and who is friend or foe.
Use of Algae for Wastewater Treatment Containing Heavy Metals
Wastewater treatment is a critical environmental issue particularly when it comes to the removal of heavy metals.
Nano priming Seeds: A Small Innovation Sparkling Big Advances in Germination
Nanopriming is an emerging agricultural technique where the seeds are treated with nanoparticles to improve their germination, growth, and overall performance.
Nobel Laureates in Physics 2024: Revolutionizing AlThe Physics Foundations Behind Machine Learning
This year's two Nobel Laureates in Physics have used tools from physics to develop methods that are the foundation of today's powerful machine learning.
Revolutionizing Biology: The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Celebrates Breakthroughs in Protein Design and Structure Prediction
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 is about proteins, life's ingenious chemical tools.
New findings on animal viruses with potential to infect humans
Scientists investigating animal viruses with potential to infect humans have identified a critical protein that could enable spillover of a family of organisms called arteriviruses.
Father-Daughter Team Decodes Mars' Alien Signal
There is no definitive answer to whether aliens exist, but there is a lot of work being done to find out:
Krishi Vigyan Kendras: Working for Farmer's Welfare
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (Farm Science Centres) are the District level institution serving as an agriculture knowledge resource & capacity development centre which plays indispensable role in front line extension regarding agriculture system in scientific way.
Sixth generation Computer: The future computing technology
We are in a transition towards a digital world, where everything will be dealt with in digital format.
