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**Symbol:** Li **Atomic number:** 3 **International name:** Lithium **Relative Atomic Weight:** 6.941 **Description:** Lithium is a highly reactive, silvery metal that is light, glossy and extremely soft, making it easy to cut with a knife. It is an excellent conductor of electricity and heat and exists primarily in the form of a lithium cation (Li⁺) in its compounds. **Applications:** Lithium is used in the production of lithium-ion batteries for long-term energy storage. It also serves as a cooling medium in nuclear reactors. Lithium carbonate is used as a medicine to treat bipolar disorder. **Occurrence:** Lithium is found in various minerals on Earth, for example spodumene LiAlSi₂O₆. **Structure:** Lithium crystallizes in a cubic system with a body-centered cubic structure.
