Tantalum vs Tungsten

Side-by-side comparison of Tantalum (Ta, element 73) and Tungsten (W, element 74) by atomic structure and physical properties.

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PropertyTa Tantalum W Tungsten
Atomic number7374
SymbolTaW
NameTantalumTungsten
Categorytransition-metaltransition-metal
Standard Atomic Weight180.94788 u183.84 u
Period66
Group56
Blockdd
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Electron configuration[Xe]4f145d36s2[Xe]4f145d46s2
Oxidation states[-3, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5][-4, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Electronegativity (Pauling)1.52.36
Electron affinity0.328859 eV0.815 eV
Density1.64e+4 kg/m³1.93e+4 kg/m³
Melting point3016.85 °C3421.85 °C
Boiling point5457.85 °C5554.85 °C
Discovery year18021781

Key Differences

PropertyTa TantalumW Tungsten
Standard Atomic Weight180.94788 u ↓ lower183.84 u ↑ higher
Density1.64e+4 kg/m³ ↓ lower1.93e+4 kg/m³ ↑ higher
Melting point3016.85 °C ↓ lower3421.85 °C ↑ higher
Boiling point5457.85 °C ↓ lower5554.85 °C ↑ higher
Electronegativity (Pauling)1.5 ↓ lower2.36 ↑ higher
Electron affinity0.328859 eV ↓ lower0.815 eV ↑ higher
Group5 6
Electron configuration[Xe]4f145d36s2 [Xe]4f145d46s2
Discovery year1802 1781