Changes: Lithium

Revision as of 11:55, 17 March 2015

Lithium is a chemical element, number 3 on the periodic table. It is the lightest alkali metal on the table, with an atomic weight of 3. (TNG: "Rascals")

Lithium in a crystal form was utilized in "lithium crystal circuits," important components in the power-generation systems of Constitution-class starships. In order to be utilized in this fashion, lithium crystals were required to be processed in large "cracking stations," such as the one on planet Delta Vega. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before") According to Harcourt Fenton Mudd, lithium crystals were worth three hundred times their weight in diamonds and thousands of times their weight in gold. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")

Overexpenditure of power could damage the lithium crystals, as happened to the Starship Enterprise in 2266, when chasing a Class-J starship into an asteroid belt. Forced to extend her shields around the vessel to protect it from asteroid collisions, the Enterprise burned out three of four lithium crystals, forcing the crew to supplement with battery power. The fourth crystal subsequently failed, overstressed from handling all of the ship's power. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")

According to Star Trek Encyclopedia, lithium was originally used as the basis of power generation and warp technology. However, it was soon realized that lithium was a real element with known properties. Dilithium was invented to allow for a fuel material with unknown properties. In the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes "The Augments" and "Affliction", it was established that the NX-class Earth ships and the Klingon Bird-of-Prey in fact already used a dilithium matrix in the mid-22nd century.

External link

Lithium at Wikipedia

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Sidebar element|
-{| table class="wiki-sidebar"
+| image             = Lithium crystal.jpg
-|-
-| colspan="2" align="center" | [[Image:LithiumCrystal.jpg|175px|A cracked lithium crystal.]]
+| imagecap          = A burnt out lithium crystal
+| Name              = Lithium
-|-
+| Symbol            = Li
-| class="odd" | Name:
+| ANum              = 3
-| class="even" | Lithium
+| AWgt              = 6
-|-
+}}
-| class="odd" | Symbol:
+'''Lithium''' is a chemical [[element]], number 3 on the [[periodic table]]. It is the lightest alkali metal on the table, with an atomic weight of 3. ({{TNG|Rascals}})
-| class="even" | Li
-|-
-| class="odd" | Atomic number:
-| class="even" | 3
-|-
-| class="odd" | Atomic weight:
-| class="even" | 3
-|-
-|}
-'''Lithium''' is a chemical [[element]], number 3 on the periodic table. It the lightest alkali metal on the table, with an atomic weight of 3. ([[TNG]]: "[[Rascals]]")
+Lithium in a crystal form was utilized in "[[lithium crystal circuit]]s," important components in the power-generation systems of {{class|Constitution}} [[starship]]s. In order to be utilized in this fashion, lithium crystals were required to be processed in large "[[Lithium cracking station|cracking station]]s," such as the one on planet [[Delta Vega]]. ({{TOS|Where No Man Has Gone Before}}) According to [[Harcourt Fenton Mudd]], lithium crystals were worth three hundred times their weight in [[diamond]]s and thousands of times their weight in [[gold]]. ({{TOS|Mudd's Women}})
-A special crystal form of this element has a structure resembling quartz and was considered sufficient for use in early [[warp core]]s. ''([[TOS]]: "[[Where No Man Has Gone Before]]", [[TOS]]: "[[Mudd's Women]]")''
+Overexpenditure of power could damage the lithium crystals, as happened to the Starship [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|''Enterprise'']] in [[2266]], when chasing a [[Class-J starship]] into an [[asteroid belt]]. Forced to extend her [[Deflector shield|shield]]s around the vessel to protect it from [[asteroid]] collisions, the ''Enterprise'' burned out three of four lithium crystals, forcing the crew to supplement with battery power. The fourth crystal subsequently failed, overstressed from handling all of the ship's power. ({{TOS|Mudd's Women}})
-However, [[dilithium]], a derivative of lithium, is now the standard in all warp technology.
+{{bginfo|According to ''[[Star Trek Encyclopedia]]'', lithium was originally used as the basis of power generation and warp technology. However, it was soon realized that lithium was a real element with known properties. [[Dilithium]] was invented to allow for a fuel material with unknown properties. In the ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' episodes {{e|The Augments}} and {{e|Affliction}}, it was established that the {{class|NX}} [[Earth]] ships and the [[Klingon]] [[Klingon Bird-of-Prey (22nd century)|Bird-of-Prey]] in fact already used a [[dilithium matrix]] in the mid-[[22nd century]].}}
-Lithium was used to build [[computer|computer chip]]s before [[isolinear]] components were invented.
+== External link==
-:''Lithium was originally used as the basis of warp technology. However, lithium is a real element with known properties. Dilithium was invented to allow for a fuel material with unknown properties.''
+* {{Wikipedia}}
+[[de:Lithium]]
-==External links==
+[[fr:Lithium]]
-* [[Wikipedia:Lithium|lithium]] at [[Wikipedia:Main Page|Wikipedia]]
+[[it:Litio]]
+[[nl:Lithium]]
 [[Category:Elements]]