What is Lithium oxide?
'''Lithium oxide''' is a [[chemical compound]]. Its chemical formula is Li<sub>2</sub>O. It contains [[lithium]] and [[oxide]] [[ion]]s. ==Properties== Lithium oxide is a white solid. It is a strong [[base (chemistry)|base]]. It is corrosive when dissolved in water. Lithium oxide dissolves in water to make [[lithium hydroxide]]. It reacts with [[acid]]s to make lithium salts. It reacts with [[carbon dioxide]] to form [[lithium carbonate]]. Lithium carbonate is much less corrosive. It makes a red color in a flame. ==Preparation== When lithium is burned to air, it forms lithium oxide. This reaction also makes [[lithium nitride]]. It can also be made by heating [[lithium peroxide]]. ==Uses== It is used as a [[wikt:flux|flux]] in [[glazing]] [[ceramic]]s. It can be used in scientific research. It could also be used in [[Lithium-ion polymer battery|lithium ion batteries]]. ==Safety== Lithium oxide is very corrosive. It reacts with water to make lithium hydroxide. It is toxic because of its strong [[alkali|alkalinity]] (being a [[Base (chemistry)|base]]). ==Related pages== *[[Lithium nitrate]] *[[Lithium chloride]] {{chem-stub}} [[Category:Lithium compounds]] [[Category:Oxides]]