Tantalum (Ta)
"The Uncorrodible, a hero who can withstand any acid and is trusted to build implants inside the human body."
A memorable persona to anchor Ta in your mind.
16.69
Grams per cm³
3017
Celsius (°C)
217
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
Tantalum is found in the tiny, high-performance capacitors in your smartphone.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1802
Discovered By
Anders Gustaf Ekeberg
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from the legendary Greek figure King Tantalus."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
180.948 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
5455°C
Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f145d36s2
1st Ionization Energy
7.89 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"Tantalum is a hard, blue-gray, lustrous metal."
Did You Know?
It is named after Tantalus, a villain from Greek mythology who was condemned to eternal punishment, because the element was so frustratingly difficult to isolate.
Tantalum is highly biocompatible and extremely resistant to corrosion by body fluids, making it ideal for surgical implants, such as artificial joints and cranial plates.
It is a critical component in small, high-performance capacitors used in a vast range of portable electronics, including smartphones, laptops, and cameras.
Tantalum has a very high melting point and is highly ductile, meaning it can be drawn out into a very thin wire.