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At forty I'm starting to learn chemistry because my 12 year old daughter has an interest in it. If you have a layman's explanation for why the periodic table strongly hints at a lithium salt connection I would love to show that to her. Thanks.

If you have any other insights that one could derive from the periodic table that would be much appreciated as well. Thank you!

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I think they just mean that lithium and sodium are both in the same valence group, but I'm not sure if that has any actual nutritional significance here.

Sodium chloride is normal salt, and potassium chloride is another salt.

In general, chlorine is missing one electron from its full configuration, while the first column has a lonely electron in its outermost S-orbital — so they’re pretty happy to do a dance and make a molecule.

(Which is why HCl is also a thing.)

Thank you.

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