Tungsten (W) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

Tungsten element (W) is in group 6 and period 6 of a periodic table. Tungsten is in the d-block and it is classified as a transition element on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to tungsten which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

• Tungsten element (Information Table)
• Tungsten element in Periodic table
• Facts about Tungsten
• Properties of Tungsten
• Uses of Tungsten

Tungsten Element (Information Table)

The important data related to tungsten element is given in the table below.

Appearance of tungsten	Gray metallic shiny appearance
Atomic number of tungsten	74
Symbol of tungsten	W
Atomic mass of tungsten	183.84 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in tungsten	Protons: 74, Neutrons: 110, Electrons: 74
State of tungsten (at STP)	Solid
Group number of tungsten in periodic table	6
Period number of tungsten in periodic table	6
Block of tungsten in periodic table	d-block
Category of tungsten	Transition metals
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in tungsten	2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2
Electron configuration of tungsten	[Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2
Orbital diagram of tungsten
Electronegativity of tungsten (on pauling scale)	2.36
Atomic radius of tungsten (van der Waals radius)	210 picometers
Density of tungsten	19.25 g/cm3
1st ionization energy of tungsten	7.98 eV
Main isotopes of tungsten	182W (26.5%), 184W (30.6%), 186W (28.4%)
Melting point of tungsten	3695 K or 3422 °C or 6192 °F
Boiling point of tungsten	6203 K or 5930 °C or 10706 °F
Crystal structure of tungsten	Body Centered Cubic (BCC)
Discovery of tungsten	By Fausto Elhuyar and Juan Jose Elhuyar (in 1783)

Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).

Tungsten element in Periodic table

The Tungsten element (W) has the atomic number 74 and is located in group 6 and period 6. Tungsten is a metal and it is classified as a transition element.

Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.

Facts about tungsten

Here are a few interesting facts about the tungsten element.

1. Tungsten was given its name from the Swedish word “tung sten”, meaning heavy stone.
2. The initial name of tungsten was “Wolfram”, but later on it was given the name “Tungsten” by IUPAC.
3. The earth’s crust contains around 1.25 ppm by weight of tungsten.
4. Tungsten is the 4^th hardest element followed by carbon (diamond), boron and chromium.
5. Tungsten has the highest melting point as compared to the melting point of other metals on the periodic table. Its melting point is 3422 °C.

Properties of tungsten

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of tungsten.

Physical properties of tungsten

• Tungsten has a silvery gray appearance.
• The powdered form of tungsten is gray colored.
• The tungsten is hard metal and its density is 19.25 g/cm³.
• Tungsten has a BCC crystal structure.
• The melting point and boiling point of tungsten is 3695 K and 6203 K respectively.

Chemical properties of tungsten

• Tungsten reacts with oxygen at higher temperatures and forms a tungsten oxide.
• Tungsten does not react with water as well as acids and base at room temperature.
• The electron configuration of tungsten is [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁴ 6s² and it has incomplete d-orbitals.
• The most common oxidation state of tungsten is +6.

Uses of tungsten

Here are some uses of the tungsten element.

• Tungsten is used as a filament in electric bulbs.
• Tungsten carbide is used in making cutting tools, drill bits, etc.
• Tungsten is also used in welding electrodes.
• Tungsten is also used in HSS (high speed steels) for cutting the metals.

External resources:

1. Tungsten – Wikipedia. (2020, May 2). Tungsten – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten
2. Tungsten – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Tungsten – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/74/tungsten
3. P. (n.d.). Tungsten | W (Element) – PubChem. Tungsten | W (Element) – PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Tungsten
4. It’s Elemental – The Element Tungsten. (n.d.). It’s Elemental – the Element Tungsten. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele074.html
5. Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. (n.d.). Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://periodic.lanl.gov/74.shtml
6. Prohaska, T., et al. (2022, May 1). Standard atomic weights of the elements 2021 (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 94(5), 573–600. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0603
7. Haynes, W. M. (Ed.). (2014, June 4). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17118
8. Kaye, G W.C., & Laby, T H. Tables of physical and chemical constants. 15th Edition. United States.
9. Atomic Weight of Tungsten | Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights. (n.d.). Atomic Weight of Tungsten | Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights. https://ciaaw.org/tungsten.htm
10. Atomic Data for Tungsten (W ). (n.d.). Atomic Data for Tungsten (W ). https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Handbook/Tables/tungstentable1.htm
11. Tungsten | W | ChemSpider. (n.d.). Tungsten | W | ChemSpider. http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.22403.html?rid=cd70fe15-35de-4d5b-ae5f-525e6c29f376
12. Tungsten Statistics and Information | U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). Tungsten Statistics and Information | U.S. Geological Survey. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/tungsten-statistics-and-information
13. Sansonetti, J. E., & Martin, W. C. (2005, December). Handbook of Basic Atomic Spectroscopic Data. Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, 34(4), 1559–2259. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1800011
14. Bondi, A. (1964, March). van der Waals Volumes and Radii. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 68(3), 441–451. https://doi.org/10.1021/j100785a001
15. Holden, et al. (2018, December 1). IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the Education Community (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(12), 1833–2092. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703
16. Zhang, et al. (2011, January 11). Corrected Values for Boiling Points and Enthalpies of Vaporization of Elements in Handbooks. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 56(2), 328–337. https://doi.org/10.1021/je1011086