Ta Tantalum
Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
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.
It belongs to group 5 of the periodic table having trivial name .
Tantalum Facts
Read key information and facts about element Tantalum
| Name | Tantalum |
| Atomic Number | 73 |
| Atomic Symbol | Ta |
| Atomic Weight | 180.9479 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Gray |
| Appearance | gray blue |
| Classification | Transition Metal |
| Group in Periodic Table | 5 |
| Group Name | vanadium family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | d -block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2 |
| Melting Point | 3290 K |
| Boiling Point | 5731 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-25-7 |
How to Locate Tantalum on Periodic Table
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 73 to find Tantalum on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Tantalum on periodic table look for cross section of group 5 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
Tantalum History
The element Tantalum was discovered by G. Ekeberg in year 1802 in Sweden. Tantalum was first isolated by in . Tantalum derived its name from King Tantalus, father of Niobe from Greek mythology.
Ekeberg found another element in minerals similar to columbite and in 1844, Heinrich Rose proved that it was distinct from niobium.
Tantalum Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Tantalum in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 0.08 | 0.0006 |
| Abundance in Sun | - | - |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 20 | 2 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 1700 | 190 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.002 | 0.000068 |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Tantalum
The solid state structure of Tantalum is Body Centered Cubic.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
Unit Cell Parameters
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 330.13 pm | 330.13 pm | 330.13 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | π/2 | π/2 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | Im_ 3m |
| Space Group Number | 229 |
| Crystal Structure | Body Centered Cubic |
| Number of atoms per unit cell | 2 |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Tantalum Atomic and Orbital Properties
Tantalum atoms have 73 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 4F3/2.
| Atomic Number | 73 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 73 |
| Number of Protons | 73 |
| Mass Number | 181 |
| Number of Neutrons | 108 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 5d3 6s2 |
| Valence (Valency) | 5 |
| Main Oxidation States | 5 |
| Oxidation States | -3, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 4F3/2 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Tantalum - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Tantalum - neutral Tantalum atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Tantalum
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Tantalum atom is [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2. The portion of Tantalum configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Xe]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 5d3 6s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Tantalum
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Tantalum atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d3 6s2
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
Atomic Structure of Tantalum
Tantalum atomic radius is 200 pm, while it's covalent radius is 138 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 200 pm (2 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 145 pm (1.45 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 10.85 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 138 pm (1.38 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | - |
| Neutron Cross Section | 20.5 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.0041 |
Atomic Spectrum of Tantalum
Tantalum Chemical Properties: Tantalum Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Tantalum is 31 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 5 |
| Electronegativity | 1.5 |
| ElectronAffinity | 31 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Tantalum
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Tantalum
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 761 |
| 2nd | 1500 |
Tantalum Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Tantalum Physical Properties
| Density | 16.65 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $15 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 10.85 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 186 |
| Shear Modulus | 69 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 200 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.34 |
Hardness of Tantalum - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | 6.5 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | 873 MPa |
| Brinell Hardness | 800 MPa |
Tantalum Electrical Properties
Tantalum is Conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties ofTantalum
| Electrical Conductivity | 7700000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 1.3e-7 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 4.47 |
Tantalum Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 57 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000063 /K |
Tantalum Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.07e-8 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.936e-9 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.0001782 |
Optical Properties of Tantalum
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Tantalum
| Speed of Sound | 3614.2 m/s |
Tantalum Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Tantalum
| Melting Point | 3290 K (3016.85°C, 5462.33 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 5731 K (5457.85°C, 9856.130000000001 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | 4.47 |
Enthalpies of Tantalum
| Heat of Fusion | 36 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 735 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Tantalum Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Tantalum
Tantalum has 36 isotopes, with between 155 and 190 nucleons. Tantalum has 1 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Tantalum - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 181Ta.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 155Ta | 73 | 82 | 155 | Synthetic | ||
| 156Ta | 73 | 83 | 156 | Synthetic | ||
| 157Ta | 73 | 84 | 157 | Synthetic | ||
| 158Ta | 73 | 85 | 158 | Synthetic | ||
| 159Ta | 73 | 86 | 159 | Synthetic | ||
| 160Ta | 73 | 87 | 160 | Synthetic | ||
| 161Ta | 73 | 88 | 161 | Synthetic | ||
| 162Ta | 73 | 89 | 162 | Synthetic | ||
| 163Ta | 73 | 90 | 163 | Synthetic | ||
| 164Ta | 73 | 91 | 164 | Synthetic | ||
| 165Ta | 73 | 92 | 165 | Synthetic | ||
| 166Ta | 73 | 93 | 166 | Synthetic | ||
| 167Ta | 73 | 94 | 167 | Synthetic | ||
| 168Ta | 73 | 95 | 168 | Synthetic | ||
| 169Ta | 73 | 96 | 169 | Synthetic | ||
| 170Ta | 73 | 97 | 170 | Synthetic | ||
| 171Ta | 73 | 98 | 171 | Synthetic | ||
| 172Ta | 73 | 99 | 172 | Synthetic | ||
| 173Ta | 73 | 100 | 173 | Synthetic | ||
| 174Ta | 73 | 101 | 174 | Synthetic | ||
| 175Ta | 73 | 102 | 175 | Synthetic | ||
| 176Ta | 73 | 103 | 176 | Synthetic | ||
| 177Ta | 73 | 104 | 177 | Synthetic | ||
| 178Ta | 73 | 105 | 178 | Synthetic | ||
| 179Ta | 73 | 106 | 179 | Synthetic | ||
| 180Ta | 73 | 107 | 180 | Synthetic | ||
| 181Ta | 73 | 108 | 181 | 99.988% | Stable | |
| 182Ta | 73 | 109 | 182 | Synthetic | ||
| 183Ta | 73 | 110 | 183 | Synthetic | ||
| 184Ta | 73 | 111 | 184 | Synthetic | ||
| 185Ta | 73 | 112 | 185 | Synthetic | ||
| 186Ta | 73 | 113 | 186 | Synthetic | ||
| 187Ta | 73 | 114 | 187 | Synthetic | ||
| 188Ta | 73 | 115 | 188 | Synthetic | ||
| 189Ta | 73 | 116 | 189 | Synthetic | ||
| 190Ta | 73 | 117 | 190 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7440-25-7 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSWW5505000 |
| CID Number | CID23956 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Tantalum with other elements
Compare Tantalum with all Group 5 elements
Compare Tantalum with all Period 6 elements
Compare Tantalum with all Transition Metal elements
FAQs
What is the electronic configuration of Tantalum?
The electronic configuration of Tantalum is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d3 6s2.
What is the abbreviated electronic configuration of Tantalum?
The abbreviated electronic configuration of Tantalum is [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2. To form abbreviated notation of electronic configuration, the completely filled subshells are replaced by the noble gas of the preceding period in square brackets.
What is the symbol of Tantalum?
Symbol of Tantalum is Ta. Tantalum is a chemical element with symbol Ta and atomic number 73.
What is the position of Tantalum in the Periodic Table?
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Tantalum is the 73 element on the periodic table. It is located in group 5 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
What is the atomic number of Tantalum?
The atomic number of Tantalum is 73.
What is the color of Tantalum?
Tantalum is of Gray color.
Who discovered Tantalum?
The element Tantalum was discovered by G. Ekeberg in year 1802 in Sweden. Tantalum was first isolated by undefined in undefined.
How many valence electrons does a Tantalum atom have?
Tantalum has 5 valence electrons. Tantalum has 73 electrons out of which 5 valence electrons are present in the 5d3 6s2 outer orbitals of atom.
What is the melting Point of Tantalum?
Melting Point of Tantalum is 3290 K.
What is the boiling Point of Tantalum?
Boiling Point of Tantalum is 5731 K.
What is the melting Point of Tantalum in Kelvin?
Melting Point of Tantalum in Kelvin is 3290 K.
What is the boiling Point of Tantalum in Kelvin?
Boiling Point of Tantalum in Kelvin is 5731 K.
What is the electronic configuration of Tantalum 73?
The electronic configuration of Tantalum will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d3 6s2.
How do you write the electron configuration for Tantalum?
The electronic configuration of Tantalum will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d3 6s2.