Grade 12Physical Chemistry

Why are lithium salts commonly hydrated and those of the other alkali ions usually anhydrous?

sudhanshu

12 Years agoGrade 12

5 Answers

Gaurav

11 Years ago

Lithium is the smallest in size among the alkali metals. Hence, Li+ ion can polarize water molecules more easily than other alkali metals. As a result, water molecules get attached to lithium salts as water of crystallization. Hence, lithium salts such as trihydrated lithium chloride (LiC1.3H20) are commonly hydrated. As the size of the ions increases, their polarizing power decreases. Hence, other alkali metal ions usually form anhydrous salts.

Rohan Cool

9 Years ago

Lithium due to small size and high polarising power attach to water molecules easily and form (LiCl.3H2o). Where as other alkali metals have large size due to that their polarising power decreases as their polarising power decreases they form a anhydrous salts.....hope this helped u a lot...this is short n precise

Raj sharma

8 Years ago

Among alkali metal ions,Li^+ is the smallest.Therefore, it has the highest charge density and hence attracts the water molecules more strongly than any other alkali metal.

Shubham Singh

7 Years ago

Lithium have a very small size and being so small its charge is only distributed to a small space and thus it can attract the lone pair of water molecules very effectively than other metals. Therefore its salts are generally hydrated and other alkali metals salt are generally anhydrous.

Hope so this helped

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Hope so this helped.

Kushagra Madhukar

5 Years ago

Dear student,

Please find the answer to your question.

Lithium is the smallest in size among the alkali metals. Hence, Li+ ion can polarize water molecules more easily than other alkali metals.

As a result, water molecules get attached to lithium salts as water of crystallization. Hence, lithium salts such as trihydrated lithium chloride (LiC1.3H20) are commonly hydrated.

As the size of the ions increases, their polarizing power decreases. Hence, other alkali metal ions usually form anhydrous salts.

Hope it helps.

Thanks and regards,

Kushagra