Compare Tantalum vs Molybdenum: Periodic Table Element Comparison Table and Properties
Compare the elements Tantalum and Molybdenum on the basis of their properties, attributes and periodic table facts. Compare elements - Tantalum and Molybdenum comparison table side by side across over 90 properties. All the elements of similar categories show a lot of similarities and differences in their chemical, atomic, physical properties and uses. These similarities and dissimilarities should be known while we study periodic table elements. You can study the detailed comparison between Tantalum vs Molybdenum with most reliable information about their properties, attributes, facts, uses etc. You can compare Ta vs Mo on more than 90 properties like electronegativity, oxidation state, atomic shells, orbital structure, Electronaffinity, physical states, electrical conductivity and many more. This in-depth comparison helps students, educators, researchers, and science enthusiasts understand the differences and similarities between Tantalum and Molybdenum.
Tantalum and Molybdenum Comparison
Here's a detailed comparison between Tantalum (Ta) and Molybdenum (Mo), focusing on their position in the periodic table, physical and chemical properties, stability, and uses.
Facts - Basic Element Details
| Name | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Number | 73 | 42 |
| Atomic Symbol | Ta | Mo |
| Atomic Weight | 180.9479 undefined | 95.94 undefined |
| Phase at STP | Solid undefined | Solid undefined |
| Color | Gray undefined | Gray undefined |
| Metallic Classification | Transition Metal undefined | Transition Metal undefined |
| Group in Periodic Table | group 5 | group 6 |
| Group Name | vanadium family | chromium family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 undefined | period 5 undefined |
| Block in Periodic Table | d undefined-block | d undefined-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2 undefined | [Kr] 4d5 5s1 undefined |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2 | 2, 8, 18, 13, 1 |
| Melting Point | 3290 undefined | 2896 undefined |
| Boiling Point | 5731 undefined | 4912 undefined |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-25-7 undefined | CAS7439-98-7 undefined |
| Neighborhood Elements | Neighborhood Elements of Tantalum | Neighborhood Elements of Molybdenum |
History
| Parameter | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| History | The element Tantalum was discovered by G. Ekeberg in year 1802 in Sweden. Tantalum derived its name from King Tantalus, father of Niobe from Greek mythology. | The element Molybdenum was discovered by W. Scheele in year 1778 in Sweden. Molybdenum derived its name from the Greek word molybdos meaning 'lead'. |
| Discovery | G. Ekeberg (1802) | W. Scheele (1778) |
| Isolated | () | J. Hjelm (1781) |
Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
Parts per billion (ppb) by weight / by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 0.08 / 0.0006 | 5 / 0.1 |
| Abundance in Sun | - / - | 9 / 0.1 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 20 / 2 | 1200 / 250 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 1700 / 190 | 1100 / 230 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.002 / 0.000068 | 10 / 0.64 |
| Abundance in Humans | - / - | 100 / 7 |
Crystal Structure and Atomic Structure
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Volume | 10.85 undefined | 9.333 undefined |
| Atomic Radius | 200 undefined | 190 undefined |
| Covalent Radius | 138 undefined | 145 undefined |
| Van der Waals Radius | - | - |
Atomic Spectrum - Spectral Lines | ||
| Emission Spectrum |  |  |
| Absorption Spectrum |  |  |
| Lattice Constant | 330.13, 330.13, 330.13 | 314.7, 314.7, 314.7 |
| Lattice Angle | π/2, π/2, π/2 | π/2, π/2, π/2 |
| Space Group Name | Im_ 3m undefined | Im_ 3m undefined |
| Space Group Number | 229 undefined | 229 undefined |
| Crystal Structure | Body Centered Cubic undefined  | Body Centered Cubic undefined |
Atomic and Orbital Properties
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic Number | 73 | 42 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 73 | 42 |
| Number of Protons | 73 | 42 |
| Mass Number | 180.9479 | 95.94 |
| Number of Neutrons | 108 | 54 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2 | 2, 8, 18, 13, 1 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2 undefined | [Kr] 4d5 5s1 undefined |
| Valence Electrons | 5d3 6s2 undefined | 4d5 5s1 undefined |
| Oxidation State | 5 | 4, 6 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 4F3/2 undefined | 7S3 undefined |
| Shell structure |  |  |
Isotopes and Nuclear Properties
Tantalum has 1 stable naturally occuring isotopes while Molybdenum has 6 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
| Parameter | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| Known Isotopes | 155Ta, 156Ta, 157Ta, 158Ta, 159Ta, 160Ta, 161Ta, 162Ta, 163Ta, 164Ta, 165Ta, 166Ta, 167Ta, 168Ta, 169Ta, 170Ta, 171Ta, 172Ta, 173Ta, 174Ta, 175Ta, 176Ta, 177Ta, 178Ta, 179Ta, 180Ta, 181Ta, 182Ta, 183Ta, 184Ta, 185Ta, 186Ta, 187Ta, 188Ta, 189Ta, 190Ta | 83Mo, 84Mo, 85Mo, 86Mo, 87Mo, 88Mo, 89Mo, 90Mo, 91Mo, 92Mo, 93Mo, 94Mo, 95Mo, 96Mo, 97Mo, 98Mo, 99Mo, 100Mo, 101Mo, 102Mo, 103Mo, 104Mo, 105Mo, 106Mo, 107Mo, 108Mo, 109Mo, 110Mo, 111Mo, 112Mo, 113Mo, 114Mo, 115Mo |
| Stable Isotopes | Naturally occurring stable isotopes: 181Ta | Naturally occurring stable isotopes: 92Mo, 94Mo, 95Mo, 96Mo, 97Mo, 98Mo |
| Neutron Cross Section | 20.5 undefined | 2.6 undefined |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.0041 undefined | 0.0009 undefined |
Chemical Properties: Ionization Energies and electron affinity
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| Valence or Valency | 5 undefined | 6 undefined |
| Electronegativity | 1.5 undefined | 2.16 undefined |
| Oxidation State | 5 | 4, 6 |
| Electron Affinity | 31 undefined | 71.9 undefined |
| Ionization Energies | 1st: 761 undefined 2nd: 1500 undefined | 1st: 684.3 undefined 2nd: 1560 undefined 3rd: 2618 undefined 4th: 4480 undefined 5th: 5257 undefined 6th: 6640.8 undefined 7th: 12125 undefined 8th: 13860 undefined 9th: 15835 undefined 10th: 17980 undefined 11th: 20190 undefined 12th: 22219 undefined 13th: 26930 undefined 14th: 29196 undefined 15th: 52490 undefined 16th: 55000 undefined 17th: 61400 undefined 18th: 67700 undefined 19th: 74000 undefined 20th: 80400 undefined 21st: 87000 undefined 22nd: 93400 undefined 23rd: 98420 undefined 24th: 104400 undefined 25th: 121900 undefined 26th: 127700 undefined 27th: 133800 undefined 28th: 139800 undefined 29th: 148100 undefined 30th: 154500 undefined |
Physical Properties
Molybdenum (10.28 g/cm³) is less dense than Tantalum (16.65 g/cm³). This means that a given volume of Tantalum will be heavier than the same volume of Molybdenum. Tantalum is about 62 denser than Molybdenum
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| Phase at STP | Solid undefined | Solid undefined |
| Color | Gray undefined | Gray undefined |
| Density | 16.65 undefined | 10.28 undefined |
| Density (when liquid (at melting point)) | 15 undefined | 9.33 undefined |
| Molar Volume | 10.85 undefined | 9.333 undefined |
Mechanical and Hardness Properties
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
Elastic Properties | ||
| Young Modulus | 186 undefined | 329 undefined |
| Shear Modulus | 69 undefined | 20 undefined |
| Bulk Modulus | 200 undefined | 230 undefined |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.34 undefined | 0.31 undefined |
Hardness - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element | ||
| Mohs Hardness | 6.5 undefined | 5.5 undefined |
| Vickers Hardness | 873 undefined | 1530 undefined |
| Brinell Hardness | 800 undefined | 1500 undefined |
Thermal and Electrical Conductivity
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
Heat and Conduction Properties | ||
| Thermal Conductivity | 57 undefined | 139 undefined |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000063 undefined | 0.0000048 undefined |
Electrical Properties | ||
| Electrical Conductivity | 7700000 undefined | 20000000 undefined |
| Resistivity | 1.3e-7 undefined | 5e-8 undefined |
| Superconducting Point | 4.47 undefined | 0.915 undefined |
Magnetic and Optical Properties
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
Magnetic Properties | ||
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic undefined | Paramagnetic undefined |
| Curie Point | - | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.07e-8 undefined | 1.17e-8 undefined |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.936e-9 undefined | 1.122e-9 undefined |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.0001782 undefined | 0.0001203 undefined |
Optical Properties | ||
| Refractive Index | - | - |
Acoustic Properties | ||
| Speed of Sound | 3614.2 undefined | 6190 undefined |
Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
| Property | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| Melting Point | 3290 undefined | 2896 undefined |
| Boiling Point | 5731 undefined | 4912 undefined |
| Critical Temperature | - | - |
| Superconducting Point | 4.47 undefined | 0.915 undefined |
Enthalpies | ||
| Heat of Fusion | 36 undefined | 36 undefined |
| Heat of Vaporization | 735 undefined | 600 undefined |
| Heat of Combustion | - | - |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
| Parameter | Tantalum | Molybdenum |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Number | CAS7440-25-7 undefined | CAS7439-98-7 undefined |
| RTECS Number | RTECSWW5505000 undefined | RTECSQA4680000 undefined |
| DOT Hazard Class | 4.1 undefined | 4.1 undefined |
| DOT Numbers | 3089 undefined | 3089 undefined |
| EU Number | - | - |
| NFPA Fire Rating | - | 3 undefined |
| NFPA Health Rating | - | 1 undefined |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | - | 0 undefined |
| NFPA Hazards | - | - |
| AutoIgnition Point | - | - |
| Flashpoint | - | - |
Compare Tantalum and Molybdenum With Other Elements
Compare Tantalum and Molybdenum with other elements of the periodic table. Explore howTantalum and Molybdenum stack up against other elements of the periodic table. Use our interactive comparison tool to analyze 90+ properties across different metals, non-metals, metalloids, and noble gases. Understanding these differences is crucial for applications in engineering, chemistry, electronics, biology, and material science.