what type of element is lithium
Lithium is a Group 1 (IA) element containing just a single valence electron (1s 2 2s 1). Group 1 elements are called alkali metals. Lithium is a solid only about half as dense as water and lithium metal is the least dense metal. A freshly cut chunk of lithium is silvery, but tarnishes in a minute or so in air to give a grey surface. Its chemistry is dominated by its tendency to lose an electron to form Li + .