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Compare Lithium vs Sodium

Comparing Lithium (Li) and Sodium (Na). Atomic numbers 3 and 11 with atomic masses 6.938 u and 22.99 u, classified as alkali metal and alkali metal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.

vs
Li
Lithium
#3
Na
Sodium
#11

Periodic properties of the elements

LithiumSodium
SymbolLiNa
Atomic number311
Group11
Period23
Blockss
Element categoryAlkali MetalAlkali Metal

Physical properties

LithiumSodium
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density0.534 g/cm30.968 g/cm3
Atomic weight6.938 u22.9898 u
Melting point453.65 K
180.5 °C
356.9 °F		370.944 K
97.794 °C
208.0292 °F
Boiling point1603 K
1329.85 °C
2425.73 °F		1156.09 K
882.94 °C
1621.292 °F

Atomic properties

LithiumSodium
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)0.980.93
Electron affinity59.6326 kJ/mol52.867 kJ/mol
Oxidation states+1
(a strongly basic oxide)		−1, +1
(a strongly basic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 520.2 kJ/mol
  2. 7298.1 kJ/mol
  3. 11815 kJ/mol
  1. 495.8 kJ/mol
  2. 4562 kJ/mol
  3. 6910.3 kJ/mol
  4. 9543 kJ/mol
  5. 13354 kJ/mol
  6. 16613 kJ/mol
  7. 20117 kJ/mol
  8. 25496 kJ/mol
  9. 28932 kJ/mol
  10. 141362 kJ/mol
  11. 159076 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

LithiumSodium
Shorthand configuration[He] 2s1 [Ne] 3s1
Full configuration1s2 2s1 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1
Electrons per shell2, 12, 8, 1

History

LithiumSodium
DiscoveryJohan August Arfwedson (1817)Humphry Davy (1807)
First isolationWilliam Thomas Brande, Sir Humphrey Davy (1821)Humphry Davy (1807)
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