Element 73
Tantalum (Ta)
Tantalum (Ta) is element 73 of the periodic table, a transition metal in period 6, group 5 (d-block) with an atomic mass of 180.95 and is a solid at standard conditions.
At a glance
- Atomic number
- 73
- Symbol
- Ta
- Atomic mass
- 180.95 u
- Category
- Transition metals
- Period
- 6
- Group
- 5
- Block
- d-block
- Phase at STP
- solid
Electron structure
- Electron configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d3 6s2
- Shorthand configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2
- Oxidation states
- -3, -1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5
Physical properties
- Melting point
- 3290 K
- Boiling point
- 5731 K
- Density
- 16.654 g/cm3
- Phase
- solid
Atomic properties
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.5
- Atomic radius
- 200 pm
- Covalent radius
- 170 pm
- First ionization energy
- 761 kJ/mol
- Electron affinity
- 31 kJ/mol
Notable isotopes
| Isotope | Mass | Abundance | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ta-181 | 180.948 | 99.99% | Stable |
Common uses
- Capacitors
- Surgical instruments
- Jet engines
- Electronics
Discovery
- Year
- 1802
- Discovered by
- Anders Gustaf Ekeberg
- Country
- Sweden