Tantalum (Ta)
Tantalum is extremely corrosion-resistant and is used in capacitors found in smartphones and computers.
Properties of Tantalum
- Atomic number
- 73
- Category
- Transition Metal
- Atomic mass
- 180.95 u
- Electron configuration
- [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d³ 6s²
- Melting point
- 3290 K (3016.85 °C)
- Boiling point
- 5731 K (5457.85 °C)
- Density
- 16.654 g/cm³
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.5
- Appearance
- Gray-blue metal
- Discovered by
- Anders Gustaf Ekeberg (1802)
Facts about Tantalum
- Every smartphone has tantalum capacitors inside it!
- Tantalum is named after Tantalus from Greek mythology!
- Tantalum is so corrosion-resistant that acids barely affect it!
- Tantalum is biocompatible, so it's used in surgical implants!