Tantalum
Tantalum (钽, symbol Ta) is chemical element number 73, a Transition Metal in period 6, group 5 of the periodic table, with a standard atomic weight of about 180.95. Rare, hard, blue-gray metal. Highly corrosion-resistant; used in electronics capacitors.
Properties
| Atomic number | 73 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Ta |
| Atomic mass | 180.95 u |
| Category | Transition Metal |
| Period | 6 |
| Group | 5 |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d³ 6s² |
| Electronegativity | 1.5 |
| Covalent radius | 170 pm |
| Density | 16.654 g/cm³ |
| Melting point | 3290 K |
| Boiling point | 5731 K |
| Discovery | Anders Gustaf Ekeberg, 1802 |
Overview
Rare, hard, blue-gray metal. Highly corrosion-resistant; used in electronics capacitors. Element 73, Tantalum (Ta), is a Transition Metal found in period 6, group 5. As a transition metal it commonly shows several oxidation states, forms coloured compounds, and is widely used in catalysts and alloys.
With 2 electrons in its outermost shell, Tantalum bonds accordingly; full configuration [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d³ 6s², electronegativity 1.5. At room temperature it is normally a solid (a very high melting point); it melts near 3290 K (3016.9 °C), boils near 5731 K (5457.9 °C), has a density around 16.654 g/cm³.
Common applications range across Electronics / Semiconductors and Medical / Pharma. It was first described by Anders Gustaf Ekeberg in 1802. Use the comparison tool to line it up against other elements.
Electron shells
Electrons per shell: 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 11 · 2
Main uses
- Electronics / Semiconductors
- Medical / Pharma
Hazard
Compounds containing Tantalum
No compounds in this knowledge base contain Tantalum yet.
Data sources
Atomic mass uses IUPAC (CIAAW) standard atomic weights; the covalent radius is from Cordero et al. (2008). Verify on the RSC Periodic Table, PubChem and Wikipedia. Educational reference only.