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EXLithium should never come into contact with water because of the way its atoms behave at a very fundamental level.
Lithium is an alkali metal, which means it has a strong tendency to give away one of its outer electrons in order to become chemically stable. Water, although it looks harmless, can easily accept this electron during a reaction.
When lithium touches water, it reacts instantly, breaking the water molecules apart. In this process, lithium forms lithium hydroxide, while hydrogen gas is released. This reaction happens very quickly and produces a large amount of heat.
The heat generated is not just a minor byproduct. It is intense enough to ignite the hydrogen gas that is being released at the same time.
Hydrogen is extremely flammable, so the combination of heat and hydrogen can lead to fire or even a small explosion. What makes lithium especially dangerous is that the reaction speeds up as it continues.
The heat melts the lithium, increasing its surface area, which allows even more water to react at once. This creates a runaway effect where the reaction becomes more violent in seconds.
In simple terms, lithium and water are a bad combination because lithium is desperate to react and water provides the perfect opportunity.
The result is a fast, heat-producing reaction that releases flammable gas, making it highly unsafe in everyday environments. This is why lithium is stored in oil or dry conditions and kept far away from moisture.
📹- @roythechemist (Posted with permission)
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