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Lithium comes from the Greek word lithos which means "stone." It was discovered in 1817 by Arfvedson, when it was first extracted from a compound with chlorine. Lithium does not occur naturally by by itself, but as part of other substances, often found in igneous rocks. It is silvery and very light, being only about half as dense as water. When it is burned it produces a distinctive crimson color, but becomes white hot when burned strongly.
Lithium is used with other elements to produce aluminum alloys suitable for aircraft construction, and in compound with chlorine as a brazing flux.
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