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So what does lithium have that other elements don't, to be so populair with the battery crowd?

by neals 5y ago

zekica 5y ago
It is very reactive (as it is in the first column of the periodic table - Alkali metal). Other group of very reactive elements are in the second-last column such as Fluorine but they can't be as easily used in batteries for other reasons. Lithium is also very light - 0.534 g/cm³ compared to copper with 8.96 g/cm³.
dotancohen 5y ago
One free electron, in a nice stable element that makes molecules easy to handle at room temperature.
klodolph 5y ago
I see a couple comments here that don't understand why Lithium is a good choice. Batteries push electrons around a circuit. This is powered by a redox reaction, with half of the reaction occurring on each terminal. One half of the reaction produces electrons, the other half consumes electrons, and these electrons travel from where they are produced (the oxidation half-reaction) to where they are consumed (the reduction half-reaction). However, one half reaction simply produced electrons forever, it would accumulate a positive charge. So something inside the battery has to also move charge around to balance things out. This thing that moves should have a positive charge, and move in the same direction as the electrons, except through the battery instead of through the circuit. Your electron moves from the battery anode (-) through the circuit to the battery cathode (+), and something else with a positive charge also moves from the battery anode (-) to the battery cathode (+), except it moves through the battery instead of moving through the circuit. In other words, a positive ion. Lithium is the smallest positive ion you can normally work with. You'd think hydrogen would be smaller, but it actually forms a hydronium ion in aqueous solution. Hydrogen fuel cells are a lot like batteries that use hydrogen + oxygen, but the chemistry of hydrogen fuel cells make them not suitable as batteries, and hydrogen is hard to store. I'm sure I'm getting some of this wrong, I did study some very basic electrochemistry in college, so I would encourage people interested in electrochemistry to read more about it or even do simple experiments at home (it's surprisingly easy).
- addaon 5y ago
  This is a great description. The one thing that's missing is /why/ a smaller ion is better. Is this because of energy lost by some equivalent of drag as the ion travels through the solution?
  - whatshisface 5y ago
    Well, for one thing it weighs less for every unit of positive charge.
  - klodolph 5y ago
    Smaller is better because you want your battery to be small. If you want a small battery, you need to use fewer atoms or put the atoms closer together (smaller atoms). Weight is also important. Lithium is very light and very small.
coffeeblack 5y ago
It’s in the name of the battery, so many seem to think that it’s the main ingredient.
- adastra22 5y ago
  It is though? I mean chemically speaking, how are lithium ions not the main / active ingredient?

So what does lithium have that other elements don't, to be so populair with the battery crowd?

by neals 5y ago

So what does lithium have that other elements don't, to be so populair with the battery crowd?

It is very reactive (as it is in the first column of the periodic table - Alkali metal). Other group of very reactive elements are in the second-last column such as Fluorine but they can't be as easily used in batteries for other reasons. Lithium is also very light - 0.534 g/cm³ compared to copper with 8.96 g/cm³.

dotancohen 5y ago

One free electron, in a nice stable element that makes molecules easy to handle at room temperature.

klodolph 5y ago

I see a couple comments here that don't understand why Lithium is a good choice. Batteries push electrons around a circuit. This is powered by a redox reaction, with half of the reaction occurring on each terminal. One half of the reaction produces electrons, the other half consumes electrons, and these electrons travel from where they are produced (the oxidation half-reaction) to where they are consumed (the reduction half-reaction). However, one half reaction simply produced electrons forever, it would accumulate a positive charge. So something inside the battery has to also move charge around to balance things out. This thing that moves should have a positive charge, and move in the same direction as the electrons, except through the battery instead of through the circuit. Your electron moves from the battery anode (-) through the circuit to the battery cathode (+), and something else with a positive charge also moves from the battery anode (-) to the battery cathode (+), except it moves through the battery instead of moving through the circuit. In other words, a positive ion. Lithium is the smallest positive ion you can normally work with. You'd think hydrogen would be smaller, but it actually forms a hydronium ion in aqueous solution. Hydrogen fuel cells are a lot like batteries that use hydrogen + oxygen, but the chemistry of hydrogen fuel cells make them not suitable as batteries, and hydrogen is hard to store. I'm sure I'm getting some of this wrong, I did study some very basic electrochemistry in college, so I would encourage people interested in electrochemistry to read more about it or even do simple experiments at home (it's surprisingly easy).

addaon 5y ago
This is a great description. The one thing that's missing is /why/ a smaller ion is better. Is this because of energy lost by some equivalent of drag as the ion travels through the solution?
- whatshisface 5y ago
  Well, for one thing it weighs less for every unit of positive charge.
- klodolph 5y ago
  Smaller is better because you want your battery to be small. If you want a small battery, you need to use fewer atoms or put the atoms closer together (smaller atoms). Weight is also important. Lithium is very light and very small.

coffeeblack 5y ago

It’s in the name of the battery, so many seem to think that it’s the main ingredient.

adastra22 5y ago
It is though? I mean chemically speaking, how are lithium ions not the main / active ingredient?