73 - Tantalum transition metal
Discovered by Anders Gustaf Ekeberg in 1801
Tantalum is a chemical element with symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as tantalium, its name comes from Tantalus, an antihero from Greek mythology. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant.
Periodic table
| Shell | Electrons | Orbitals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 2 in 1s |
| 2 | 8 | 2 in 2s + 6 in 2p |
| 3 | 18 | 2 in 3s + 6 in 3p + 10 in 3d |
| 4 | 32 | 2 in 4s + 6 in 4p + 10 in 4d + 14 in 4f |
| 5 | 11 | 2 in 5s + 6 in 5p + 3 in 5d |
| 6 | 2 | 2 in 6s |
Electron shells
gray blue Appearance
181 u Atomic Mass
1.45 Å Atomic Radius
5.73k K Boiling Point
5 Group
5 Common Oxidation States
1.7 Å Covalent Radius
16.7 g/cm³ Density
31 kJ/mol Electron Affinity
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2 4f14 5d3 Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2 Electron Configuration (semantic)
1.5 Electronegativity
73 Electrons
7.55 eV First Ionization Energy
3, 4, 5 ICSD Oxidation States
761, 1500 kJ/mol Ionization Energies
3.27k K Melting Point
52 Mendeleev Number
25.4 J/(mol·K) Molar Heat
6 Number of Shells
108 Neutrons
73 Atomic Number
19 Number of Isotopes
-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Oxidation States
6 Period
Solid Phase
73 Protons
2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2 Electron Shell Occupations