Tungsten

TRANSITION METAL

Bohr Model: Electrons arranged in energy shells around the nucleus.

Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a chemical element with symbol W and atomic number 74. The word tungsten comes from the Swedish language tung sten, which directly translates to heavy stone. Its name in Swedish is volfram, however, in order to distinguish it from scheelite, which in Swedish is alternatively named tungsten.

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Quick Facts

Atomic Number 74

Period 6

Group 6

Phase Solid

Appearance grayish white, lustrous

About Transition Metals

Transition metals are elements with partially filled d-orbitals. They are hard, have high melting points, and often form colored compounds.

History

Discovered By Carl Wilhelm Scheele

Named By Unknown

Physical Properties

Atomic Mass 183.841

Density 19.25 g/L

Molar Heat 24.27 J/(mol·K)

Phase Transition (Melting & Boiling Points)

Tungsten melts at 3695 K and boils at 6203 K.

Atomic Properties

Electron Config [Xe] 4f14 5d4 6s2

Electronegativity 2.36

Electron Affinity 78.76 kJ/mol

Ionization Energy 770 kJ/mol

Orbital Filling Diagram

This diagram visualizes electron configuration according to the Aufbau principle and Hund's rule. Boxes represent orbitals (s, p, d, f), while arrows indicate electrons with spin up or down. Electrons fill lower energy levels first and occupy orbitals singly before pairing.

Photograph

Source: Wikipedia

External Resources

Wikipedia PubChem Royal Society of Chemistry Periodic Videos (YouTube)

Study Guide

Atomic Number

The number of protons in the nucleus, which defines the element.

Atomic Mass

The average mass of an atom, including protons and neutrons.

Electronegativity

A measure of how strongly an atom attracts electrons in a bond.

Ionization Energy

The energy required to remove an electron from an atom.

Electron Config

The arrangement of electrons in the atom's energy shells.