Tungsten (W)

Tungsten properties

Atomic number

74

Atomic mass

183.84 u

Category

Transition metal

Group

6

Period

6

Block

d-block

State at room temp.

Solid

Electronegativity

2.36

Melting point

3,695 K (3,421.8 °C)

Boiling point

6,203 K (5,929.8 °C)

Density

19.25 g/cm³

Valence electrons

2

Common charges

+6

Oxidation states

+6

Atomic radius

210 pm

Ionization energy

7.98 eV

Electron affinity

0.815 eV

Radioactive

No, has stable isotopes

Discovered

1783

Tungsten electron configuration

The electron configuration of Tungsten (W) is [Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2. Its 74 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2.

Protons, neutrons and electrons in Tungsten

A neutral Tungsten atom has 74 protons and 74 electrons. Most Tungsten atoms have about 110 neutrons: the atomic mass rounded to 184, minus the atomic number 74.

Neutrons are approximate: atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). Atomic number and mass

How many valence electrons does Tungsten have?

2

Tungsten has 2 valence electrons, counting the electrons in its outermost s subshell. Like most transition metals, it can also use d electrons in bonding.

See every element: Periodic table with valence electrons

Tungsten orbital diagram

Each box is an orbital that holds up to two electrons with opposite spins (↑↓). The inner shells are the same as the noble gas in brackets. How to write electron configurations

Molar mass of Tungsten

183.84 g/mol

One mole of Tungsten atoms (6.022 × 10²³ atoms) has a mass of 183.84 grams. Use this value to convert between grams and moles.

Tungsten facts

• Tungsten has the highest melting point of all metals — about 3,422 °C.
• Tungsten (W) has atomic number 74 and is a solid at room temperature. It was discovered in 1783.

Position in the periodic table

Tungsten is element 74, in period 6 and group 6 of the periodic table, in the d-block.

All transition metals

Uses of Tungsten

Tungsten's main use is in tungsten carbide, an extremely hard material used for drill bits, cutting tools, and mining equipment. Its heat resistance makes it ideal for light bulb filaments, welding electrodes, and the targets in X-ray tubes. Because tungsten is about as dense as gold but far cheaper, heavy tungsten alloys are used for counterweights, radiation shielding, and darts.

Who discovered Tungsten?

Spanish brothers Juan José and Fausto Elhuyar first isolated tungsten in 1783 in Bergara, Spain, by reducing an acid made from the mineral wolframite with charcoal. Two years earlier, Carl Wilhelm Scheele had shown that the mineral now called scheelite contained a new acid.

Where does the name come from?

Tungsten comes from the Swedish tung sten, meaning 'heavy stone', the old name of the dense mineral now called scheelite. Its symbol, W, comes from wolfram, the German name for the element and its ore, wolframite.

Discovery timeline