Embed Code

Social Share

A heavy, hard metal with a high melting point that conducts electricity well, tungsten is used for a filament in tungsten halogen lamps.

Edit Wiki Term

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
tungsten (noun)
a gray-white heavy high-melting ductile hard polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and molybdenum in many of its properties and is used especially in carbide materials and electrical components (as lamp filaments) and in hardening alloys (as steel) - see element table
Tungsten (Wikipedia)

Tungsten, 74W
Tungsten
Pronunciation/ˈtʌŋstən/ (TUNG-stən)
Alternative nameWolfram, pronounced: /ˈwʊlfrəm/ (WUUL-frəm)
Allotropesα-tungsten (common), β-tungsten
AppearanceGrayish white, lustrous
Standard atomic weight Ar°(W)
Tungsten in the periodic table
Atomic number (Z)74
Groupgroup 6
Periodperiod 6
Block  d-block
Electron configuration[Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2
Physical properties
Phaseat STPsolid
Melting point3695 K ​(3422 °C, ​6192 °F)
Boiling point6203 K ​(5930 °C, ​10706 °F)
Density (at 20° C)19.254 g/cm3
when liquid (at m.p.)17.6 g/cm3
Heat of fusion52.31 kJ/mol
Heat of vaporization774 kJ/mol
Molar heat capacity24.27 J/(mol·K)
Specific heat capacity132.017 J/(kg·K)
Vapor pressure
P (Pa)1101001 k10 k100 k
at T (K)347737734137457951275823
Atomic properties
Oxidation statescommon: +4, +6
−4, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +5
ElectronegativityPauling scale: 2.36
Ionization energies
  • 1st: 770 kJ/mol
  • 2nd: 1700 kJ/mol
Atomic radiusempirical: 139 pm
Covalent radius162±7 pm
Color lines in a spectral range
Spectral lines of tungsten
Other properties
Natural occurrenceprimordial
Crystal structurebody-centered cubic (bcc) (cI2)
Lattice constant
Body-centered cubic crystal structure for tungsten
a = 316.52 pm (at 20 °C)
Thermal expansion4.42×10−6/K (at 20 °C)
Thermal conductivity173 W/(m⋅K)
Electrical resistivity52.8 nΩ⋅m (at 20 °C)
Magnetic orderingparamagnetic
Molar magnetic susceptibility+59.0×10−6 cm3/mol (298 K)
Young's modulus411 GPa
Shear modulus161 GPa
Bulk modulus310 GPa
Speed of sound thin rod4620 m/s (at r.t.) (annealed)
Poisson ratio0.28
Mohs hardness7.5
Vickers hardness3430–4600 MPa
Brinell hardness2000–4000 MPa
CAS Number7440-33-7
History
Namingthe old Swedish name for the mineral scheelite, from which it was isolated; means 'heavy stone'
Discovery and first isolationJuan José Elhuyar and Fausto Elhuyar (1783)
Named byTorbern Bergman (1781)
Symbol"W": from Wolfram, originally from Middle High German wolf-rahm 'wolf's foam' describing the mineral wolframite
Isotopes of tungsten
Main isotopesDecay
Isotopeabun­dancehalf-life(t1/2)modepro­duct
180W0.120%1.59×1018 yα176Hf
181Wsynth120.96 dε181Ta
182W26.5%stable
183W14.3%stable
184W30.6%stable
185Wsynth75.1 dβ185Re
186W28.4%stable
187Wsynth23.81 hβ187Re
188Wsynth69.77 dβ188Re
 Category: Tungsten
| references

Tungsten (also called wolfram) is a chemical element which has the symbol W (from German: Wolfram) and atomic number 74. It is a metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively in compounds with other elements. It was identified as a distinct element in 1781 and first isolated as a metal in 1783. Its important ores include scheelite and wolframite, the latter lending the element its alternative name.

The free element is remarkable for its robustness, especially the fact that it has the highest melting point of all known elements, at 3,422 °C (6,192 °F; 3,695 K). It also has the highest boiling point, at 5,930 °C (10,706 °F; 6,203 K). Its density is 19.254 g/cm3, comparable with that of uranium and gold, and much higher (about 1.7 times) than that of lead. Polycrystalline tungsten is an intrinsically brittle and hard material (under standard conditions, when uncombined), making it difficult to work into metal. However, pure single-crystalline tungsten is more ductile and can be cut with a hard-steel hacksaw.

Tungsten occurs in many alloys, which have numerous applications, including incandescent light bulb filaments, X-ray tubes, electrodes in gas tungsten arc welding, superalloys, and radiation shielding. Tungsten's hardness and high density make it suitable for military applications in penetrating projectiles. Tungsten compounds are often used as industrial catalysts. Its largest use is in tungsten carbide, a wear-resistant material used in metalworking, mining, and construction. About 50% of tungsten is used in tungsten carbide, with the remaining major use being alloys and steels: less than 10% is used in other compounds.

Tungsten is the only metal in the third transition series that is known to occur in biomolecules, found in a few species of bacteria and archaea. However, tungsten interferes with molybdenum and copper metabolism and is somewhat toxic to most forms of animal life.

Tungsten (Wiktionary)

English

Alternative forms

  • tungstenum

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish tungsten (scheelite), from tung (heavy) + sten (stone).

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) enPR: tŭNG'stən, IPA(key): /ˈtʌŋstən/
  • Rhymes: -ʌŋstən

Noun

tungsten (countable and uncountable, plural tungstens)

... Read More
tungsten, wolfram, heavy stone, element 74, W, scheelite
Do NOT Grow Another Plant Until You've Enrolled Into This! 💯
Cannabis Horticulture
A Carefully Curated Cultivation "Crash Course" On Everything You Need To Crank Out High-Yielding, "Cannabis-Cup Winner" Flowers That'll Generate HUGE Crops All-Year Long
Crafting Cannabis-Infused Edibles Takes MORE Than Ingredients... 🍽️
Edible Cannabis Products (100% FREE Training)
Enthusiasts Face Challenges Navigating An Ever-Expanding Array Of Cannabis Products & Delivery Methods From "Raw Flower" Smoothies To Infused-Edibles, Cannabinoid-Based Drinks + MORE.