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Lithium: Power Everything (and Control Mood Swings)
Atomic number: 3 Atomic weight: 6.941 amu Classification: Alkali Metal
This is the very first metal you’ll encounter on the periodic table (the two previous elements, hydrogen and helium, are gases). Despite being a metal, lithium is so light that if you cut off a small piece and gently place it on water, it will float. The only other metal light enough to pull this off is sodium.
Lithium, like all of the alkali metals, is very reactive. However, it can form compounds that are useful in everyday life. The most well-known application of lithium would be lithium-ion batteries (the lithium is in the positive half of the battery). These batteries are everywhere; your laptop, your car, even your pacemaker (if you have one). The reason lithium-ion batteries are so popular is that they store a ton of power despite being very light. As electric cars become increasingly popular, so will lithium-ion batteries.
If you have bipolar disorder, you will be prescribed lithium carbonate pills to rein in your mood swings (although it remains a mystery why lithium is so good at soothing emotional instability).