Quick answerTantalum (Ta) is a transition metal with atomic number 73 and an atomic mass of 180.95 (2023), in group 5, period 6. It was discovered by Anders Gustaf Ekeberg in 1802. It is used for phone capacitors and surgical implants. Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2.
Tantalum is the metal inside nearly every phone, storing charge in tiny capacitors that never leak.
Key facts
| Symbol | Ta |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 73 |
| Atomic mass | 180.95 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | transition metal |
| Group | 5 |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | d-block |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d3 6s2 |
| Discovered | Anders Gustaf Ekeberg, 1802 |
| Uses | phone capacitors, surgical implants, aerospace superalloys, chemical plants, vacuum furnace parts |
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Silver (Ag) — another transition metal, atomic number 47
- Cadmium (Cd) — another transition metal, atomic number 48
- Hafnium (Hf) — another transition metal, atomic number 72
- Tungsten (W) — another transition metal, atomic number 74
- Rhenium (Re) — another transition metal, atomic number 75
- Osmium (Os) — another transition metal, atomic number 76
- Iridium (Ir) — another transition metal, atomic number 77
- Platinum (Pt) — another transition metal, atomic number 78
- Gold (Au) — another transition metal, atomic number 79
- Mercury (Hg) — another transition metal, atomic number 80
- All transition metal elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
- CIAAW — Standard Atomic Weights
- PubChem Periodic Table
- Wikipedia — Timeline of chemical element discoveries
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.