Page 29 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

Tantalum (Ta)
Element 73.This rare, very hard, silvery-grey metal is one of the transition metals in the Periodic Table.
It is very dense and has a high melting point (only exceeded by tungsten and rhenium). It can be drawn out into a very fine wire. It resists attack by acids unless heated.
Discovery
It was discovered in 1802 by the Swedish chemist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg, although for a long time people could not tell
the difference between niobium and tantalum. It was not until 1907 that
pure tantalum was produced.
Technology
Tantalum goes into corrosion-resistant containers and can be used for metal implants because it is not corroded by fluids in the body. It was once made into filaments in light bulbs (now replaced by tungsten). It is found in high-strength alloys such as those needed in aircraft and also in electrical components called capacitors.
Tantalum oxide is part of the glass in camera lenses.
Geology
Tantalum is not found as the native metal but mainly in the mineral tantalite (iron, manganese, tantalum oxide (Fe,Mn)Ta2O6), which is often found in association with tin ore.
Biology
It is not found in living things.
 Tantalum is used in capacitors.
Key facts...
Name: tantalum
Symbol: Ta
Atomic number: 73
Atomic weight: 180.95
Position in Periodic Table: transition metal,
group (5) (vanadium group); period 6 State at room temperature: solid Colour: silvery-grey
Density of solid: 16.6 g/cc
Melting point: 2,996°C
Boiling point: 5,425°C
Origin of name: named after the mythological
character Tantalus (the father of Niobe). The name comes from the fact that tantalum and niobium have very similar properties.
Shell pattern of electrons: 2–8–18–32–11–2
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