Tantalum (Ta)
Element 73 · Transition metal · Solid at 25 °C · Group 5, Period 6
Tantalum's thin, stable oxide layer makes possible the tiny high-capacity capacitors in phones, and its inertness suits surgical implants.
On the periodic table, tantalum sits in group 5 in period 6. It is one of 38 elements classified as a transition metal, and at room temperature (25 °C) it is a solid.
Transition metals occupy the wide d-block in the middle of the table. As a family they are hard, dense, high-melting metals that conduct heat and electricity well. Their partly filled d-orbitals let many of them take several oxidation states, form vividly colored compounds, and act as catalysts — which is why so much of industry, and so much of biology, runs on this block.
Properties of tantalum
| Atomic number (Z) | 73 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Ta |
| Atomic mass | 180.95 |
| Category | Transition metal |
| Group | 5 |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | d-block |
| Metal / nonmetal | Metal |
| State at 25 °C | Solid |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 1.5 |
| Melting point | 3,017 °C (3,290.15 K / 5,462.6 °F) |
| Boiling point | 5,458 °C (5,731.15 K / 9,856.4 °F) |
| Density | 16.69 g/cm³ |
Position in the periodic table
Tantalum shares group 5 with Vanadium (V), Niobium (Nb), Dubnium (Db). Elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons, so they tend to behave alike chemically — comparing them is one of the fastest ways to see periodic trends in action.
Within this dataset, it has the #10 highest measured density of the 97 elements with recorded values; its melting point is the #5 highest of the 102 elements with measured melting points.
Physical properties
Tantalum melts at 3,017 °C (3,290.15 K / 5,462.6 °F) and boils at 5,458 °C (5,731.15 K / 9,856.4 °F), giving it a liquid range of about 2,441 °C at standard pressure.
Its density is 16.69 g/cm³.
See also: the interactive periodic table, how to read the periodic table, periodic trends.