W Tungsten
Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a chemical element with symbol W and atomic number 74. The word tungsten comes from the Swedish language tung sten, which directly translates to heavy stone. Its name in Swedish is volfram, however, in order to distinguish it from scheelite, which in Swedish is alternatively named tungsten.
It belongs to group 6 of the periodic table having trivial name .
Tungsten Facts
Read key information and facts about element Tungsten
| Name | Tungsten |
| Atomic Number | 74 |
| Atomic Symbol | W |
| Atomic Weight | 183.84 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Gray |
| Appearance | grayish white, lustrous |
| Classification | Transition Metal |
| Group in Periodic Table | 6 |
| Group Name | chromium family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | d -block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2 |
| Melting Point | 3695 K |
| Boiling Point | 5828 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-33-7 |
How to Locate Tungsten 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 74 to find Tungsten 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 Tungsten on periodic table look for cross section of group 6 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
Tungsten History
The element Tungsten was discovered by W. Scheele in year 1781 in Spain. Tungsten was first isolated by J. and F. Elhuyar in 1783. Tungsten derived its name from the Swedish tung sten, 'heavy stone' (W is wolfram, the old name of the tungsten mineral wolframite).
Scheele obtained from scheelitean oxide of a new element. The Elhuyars obtainedtungstic acid from wolframite and reduced it with charcoal.
Tungsten Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Tungsten 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 | 0.5 | 0.003 |
| Abundance in Sun | 4 | 0.03 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 120 | 10 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 1100 | 120 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.12 | 0.0040 |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Tungsten
The solid state structure of Tungsten 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 316.52 pm | 316.52 pm | 316.52 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.
Tungsten Atomic and Orbital Properties
Tungsten atoms have 74 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 5D0.
| Atomic Number | 74 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 74 |
| Number of Protons | 74 |
| Mass Number | 184 |
| Number of Neutrons | 110 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 5d4 6s2 |
| Valence (Valency) | 6 |
| Main Oxidation States | 4, 6 |
| Oxidation States | -4, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 5D0 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Tungsten - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Tungsten - neutral Tungsten atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Tungsten
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Tungsten atom is [Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2. The portion of Tungsten 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 5d4 6s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Tungsten
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Tungsten atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d4 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 Tungsten
Tungsten atomic radius is 193 pm, while it's covalent radius is 146 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 193 pm (1.93 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 135 pm (1.35 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 9.47 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 146 pm (1.46 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | - |
| Neutron Cross Section | 18.4 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.0036 |
Atomic Spectrum of Tungsten
Tungsten Chemical Properties: Tungsten Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Tungsten is 78.6 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 6 |
| Electronegativity | 2.36 |
| ElectronAffinity | 78.6 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Tungsten
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Tungsten
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 770 |
| 2nd | 1700 |
Tungsten Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Tungsten Physical Properties
| Density | 19.25 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $17.6 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 9.47 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 411 |
| Shear Modulus | 161 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | 310 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.28 |
Hardness of Tungsten - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | 7.5 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | 3430 MPa |
| Brinell Hardness | 2570 MPa |
Tungsten Electrical Properties
Tungsten is Conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties ofTungsten
| Electrical Conductivity | 20000000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 5e-8 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 0.015 |
Tungsten Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 170 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000045 /K |
Tungsten Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 4.59e-9 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 8.44e-10 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.0000884 |
Optical Properties of Tungsten
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Tungsten
| Speed of Sound | 5174 m/s |
Tungsten Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Tungsten
| Melting Point | 3695 K (3421.85°C, 6191.33 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 5828 K (5554.85°C, 10030.73 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | 0.015 |
Enthalpies of Tungsten
| Heat of Fusion | 35 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 800 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Tungsten Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Tungsten
Tungsten has 35 isotopes, with between 158 and 192 nucleons. Tungsten has 5 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Tungsten - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 180W, 182W, 183W, 184W, 186W.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158W | 74 | 84 | 158 | Synthetic | ||
| 159W | 74 | 85 | 159 | Synthetic | ||
| 160W | 74 | 86 | 160 | Synthetic | ||
| 161W | 74 | 87 | 161 | Synthetic | ||
| 162W | 74 | 88 | 162 | Synthetic | ||
| 163W | 74 | 89 | 163 | Synthetic | ||
| 164W | 74 | 90 | 164 | Synthetic | ||
| 165W | 74 | 91 | 165 | Synthetic | ||
| 166W | 74 | 92 | 166 | Synthetic | ||
| 167W | 74 | 93 | 167 | Synthetic | ||
| 168W | 74 | 94 | 168 | Synthetic | ||
| 169W | 74 | 95 | 169 | Synthetic | ||
| 170W | 74 | 96 | 170 | Synthetic | ||
| 171W | 74 | 97 | 171 | Synthetic | ||
| 172W | 74 | 98 | 172 | Synthetic | ||
| 173W | 74 | 99 | 173 | Synthetic | ||
| 174W | 74 | 100 | 174 | Synthetic | ||
| 175W | 74 | 101 | 175 | Synthetic | ||
| 176W | 74 | 102 | 176 | Synthetic | ||
| 177W | 74 | 103 | 177 | Synthetic | ||
| 178W | 74 | 104 | 178 | Synthetic | ||
| 179W | 74 | 105 | 179 | Synthetic | ||
| 180W | 74 | 106 | 180 | 0.12% | Stable | N/A |
| 181W | 74 | 107 | 181 | Synthetic | ||
| 182W | 74 | 108 | 182 | 26.5% | Stable | N/A |
| 183W | 74 | 109 | 183 | 14.31% | Stable | N/A |
| 184W | 74 | 110 | 184 | 30.64% | Stable | |
| 185W | 74 | 111 | 185 | Synthetic | ||
| 186W | 74 | 112 | 186 | 28.43% | Stable | N/A |
| 187W | 74 | 113 | 187 | Synthetic | ||
| 188W | 74 | 114 | 188 | Synthetic | ||
| 189W | 74 | 115 | 189 | Synthetic | ||
| 190W | 74 | 116 | 190 | Synthetic | ||
| 191W | 74 | 117 | 191 | Synthetic | ||
| 192W | 74 | 118 | 192 | 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) | CAS7440-33-7 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSYO7175000 |
| CID Number | CID23964 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Tungsten with other elements
Compare Tungsten with all Group 6 elements
Compare Tungsten with all Period 6 elements
Compare Tungsten with all Transition Metal elements
FAQs
What is the electronic configuration of Tungsten?
The electronic configuration of Tungsten is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d4 6s2.
What is the abbreviated electronic configuration of Tungsten?
The abbreviated electronic configuration of Tungsten is [Xe] 4f14 5d4 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 Tungsten?
Symbol of Tungsten is W. Tungsten is a chemical element with symbol W and atomic number 74.
What is the position of Tungsten in the Periodic Table?
Tungsten is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is the 74 element on the periodic table. It is located in group 6 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
What is the atomic number of Tungsten?
The atomic number of Tungsten is 74.
What is the color of Tungsten?
Tungsten is of Gray color.
Who discovered Tungsten?
The element Tungsten was discovered by W. Scheele in year 1781 in Spain. Tungsten was first isolated by J. and F. Elhuyar in 1783.
How many valence electrons does a Tungsten atom have?
Tungsten has 6 valence electrons. Tungsten has 74 electrons out of which 6 valence electrons are present in the 5d4 6s2 outer orbitals of atom.
What is the melting Point of Tungsten?
Melting Point of Tungsten is 3695 K.
What is the boiling Point of Tungsten?
Boiling Point of Tungsten is 5828 K.
What is the melting Point of Tungsten in Kelvin?
Melting Point of Tungsten in Kelvin is 3695 K.
What is the boiling Point of Tungsten in Kelvin?
Boiling Point of Tungsten in Kelvin is 5828 K.
What is the electronic configuration of Tungsten 74?
The electronic configuration of Tungsten will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d4 6s2.
How do you write the electron configuration for Tungsten?
The electronic configuration of Tungsten will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d4 6s2.